Pollution Controversy Hits Mumbai-Delhi Ranji Trophy Game; Sarfaraz, Musheer Walk Out With Masks At BKC

Sarfaraz and Musheer Khan were among the Mumbai players who took to the field in the Ranji Trophy clash between Mumbai and Delhi at the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) Ground in Mumbai as the controversy over pollution and its impact on cricket resurfaced.

Just about a month after a major controversy erupted over the 4th T20I between India and South Africa at Lucknow being called off due to smog, with visuals of star Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya walking out for the team’s pre-match warm-up session wearing a mask going viral, the scenes were repeated in Mumbai during the Ranji Trophy 2025-26 clash between arch-rivals Mumbai and Delhi on the first day of play on Thursday (January 29).

Mumbai cricketers Sarfaraz and Musheer Khan, as well as Himanshu Singh, were spotted fielding with masks on at the Sharad Pawar Academy in Mumbai, which is also known as the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) Cricket Ground. The visuals quickly became the talk of the town on social media.

Those present at the ground revealed that the reason behind the unusual move by the home team players was the construction around the stadium, which is based in an upscale hub and is considered the business hub of the Maximum City.

“There wasn’t any banter about it. But new construction work is being carried out here and because of that the players were feeling the pollution and having issues with breathing, so they put those on,” Mumbai player Mohit Avashti.

What Happened In The Match?

Mumbai’s stand-in skipper Siddhesh Lad won the toss and chose to bowl. The decision was justified as Delhi were bowled out for just 221 despite the opening batter, Sanat Sangwan, scoring a century with a knock of 118. No other player from the visitors even made a half-century. Pacer Mohit Avasthi took a five-wicket haul while conceding just 72 runs. Tushar Deshpande and Shams Mulani took two wickets each. Mumbai ended the day at 13-1 and trails by 208 runs.

The result of this game will not have any impact on the qualification. Mumbai are top of the standings with 30 points and will play in the quarter-finals. They have won four of their six games so far and have yet to lose. Meanwhile, Delhi are sixth in the table with nine points in six games. They have won zero games, lost one, and played five draws.