Even cricket surrenders to Delhi's smog

Even after the light improved after a few hours, the players complained of burning eyes and breathing problem which is why the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to postpone the fifth round Ranji Trophy matches that were scheduled to be played in Delhi.

The two games that were affected were Group A match  Gujarat vs. Bengal and Group C encounter between Hyderabad and Tripura - which were supposed to be played at Feroz Shah Kotla and Karnail Singh Stadium respectively.

The revised dates and venues of the postponed matches, which will be played after the league phase of Ranji Trophy 2016-17, will be announced later, the BCCI said in a press release.

On Saturday at Kotla, both Manoj Tiwary and Parthiv Patel went out for toss but match referee P Ranganathan along with umpires Virender Sharma and Krishnamachari Bharathan decided against it.

These are the repercussions of bursting crackers in Diwali that have led to low visibility and poor quality's air that could cause irreplaceable damage to the players' lungs had they carried on with the match.

• Delhi smog
• Ranji Trophy
• Ranji Trophy 2016-17
• Delhi pollution
• Feroshah Kotla