World Cup 2023: No fireworks in Mumbai, Delhi matches over air quality

With Bombay High Court taking note of Mumbai’s worsening air quality and Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) dropping into ‘very poor’ category, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that there won’t be any fireworks show during the World Cup matches at the Wankhede Stadium or Arun Jaitley Stadium in Mumbai and Delhi respectively.

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India play Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday while Bangladesh will meet Sri Lanka at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on 6 November. This will be the last match in the capital in the World Cup.

In a statement, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said, “BCCI is sensitive to environmental concerns. I took up the matter formally with the ICC and there won’t be any fireworks display in Mumbai, which can add to the pollution level. The Board is committed to combating environmental issues and will always place the interest of our fans and stakeholders at the forefront.”

“The BCCI acknowledges the urgent concern surrounding air quality in both Mumbai and New Delhi. While we strive to host the ICC World Cup in a manner befitting the celebration of cricket, we remain steadfast in our commitment to prioritising the health and safety of all our stakeholders.”

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall AQI reading in Mumbai on Tuesday was a “moderate” 172 with Bandra Kurla Complex touching an alarming high of 260. In Delhi, meanwhile, the air quality in October has been the worst since 2020.

Fireworks have been used at the conclusion of a match at the World Cup. And the air quality situation in Mumbai prompted Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team captain, to caption an image on Instagram as: “Mumbai, yeh kya ho gaya (Mumbai, what’s happened)?”