Starting 3 November, the men’s Indian cricket team is scheduled to play three T-20 matches against its neighbouring country Bangladesh. Despite Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal calling the city a “gas chamber” on Friday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has refused to shift the match-venue to another city.
Citing last-minute reservations, Sourav Ganguly, the newly elected BCCI President, has said even though this time of the year is a difficult time in north India because of the approaching winter and smog, "we couldn't cancel the match last minute", media reported.
Shocked at the decision, ex-Miss India and Bollywood actress Dia Mirza took to microblogging site Twitter and expressed disappointment with BCCI's decision.
According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the overall air quality in Delhi deteriorated to 425, which falls under the "severe" category.
In light of the situation, some netizens are also expressing concerns, suggesting BCCI shift the match’s location.
Ahead of the match earlier this week, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of India received an anonymous letter claiming that the Indian national cricket team and particularly its captain Virat Kohli were on a terror-hit list.
After receiving the letter on Tuesday that also noted eminent Indian leaders including President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah on the terror hit-list, Delhi Police have beefed up security arrangements in the national capital.