Delhi struggles to breathe as smog forces international cricket elsewhere

India’s presidential palace, Rashtrapati Bhavan, is shrouded in smog in New Delhi on November 5, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Friday, 06 Nov 2026 3:27 PM MYT

NEW DELHI, Nov 6 — India’s cricket board has moved an international match scheduled for December out of New Delhi because of “potential weather disruption”, as air pollution levels surged in the city.

Toxic air pollution in the megacity spiked on Friday to more than 25 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily limit, data from air monitors showed.

The southeastern coastal city of Visakhapatnam will instead host the one-day international (ODI) match between India and Sri Lanka on December 13.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said the decision was made “in view of the potential weather disruption and the proposed renovation work” at the Delhi stadium.

During winter pollution peaks, when colder air traps pollutants close to the ground, PM2.5 readings can exceed 800 micrograms per cubic metre — more than 50 times the WHO’s 24-hour guideline.

Air pollution was linked to an estimated 17,188 deaths in Delhi in 2023, nearly 15 per cent of the total, making it the city’s biggest individual risk factor, an analysis by Finland-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found.

Pollution is expected to worsen on Sunday during Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, when fireworks displays add to the already poisonous air. — AFP