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KKR pitch curator dismisses Ajinkya Rahane’s request, sparking controversy. Simon Doull suggests KKR should move out of Kolkata. Find out the full story and the reason behind the dispute!
New Delhi: Although IPL 2025 is still in its early stages, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) camp is reportedly unhappy with the pitch conditions at Eden Gardens. Curator Sujan Mukherjee has firmly stated that the nature of the surface—offering bounce, carry, and movement for seamers—will remain unchanged, despite KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane’s request for pitches that favor the home team’s spinners. Mukherjee’s stance did not sit well with former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull and renowned broadcaster Harsha Bhogle. Doull, in particular, was so frustrated that he suggested KKR consider shifting their home games to a venue where they could benefit from a true ‘home advantage.’
After KKR recovered from a tough home defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru by securing a win over Rajasthan Royals in an away game, Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull criticized curator Sujan Mukherjee for disregarding KKR’s ‘home advantage.’ Bhogle pointed out that Ajinkya Rahane wasn’t demanding a rank-turner but simply a surface that provided more assistance to his spinners. Historically, KKR has been known for its quality spinners, with their most successful period coming under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy when they won IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, utilizing spin-friendly conditions at Eden Gardens.
Bhogle emphasized that teams playing at home, like Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), should have pitches that suit their bowlers. Speaking on a Cricbuzz show, he expressed his disappointment with the Eden Gardens curator’s stance, stating, “If I’m in the KKR camp, I’m extremely unhappy with what he said because I’m not asking for a 120 surface. I’m just saying, give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches.” Bhogle argued that home advantage is a legitimate aspect of the IPL, making away victories more significant and enhancing the overall competitiveness of the tournament.
Following RCB’s dominant victory over KKR on a placid Eden Gardens surface in their opening match of IPL 2025, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane highlighted the need for pitches that provide more assistance to spinners. Speaking at the post-match press conference, he stated, “We would love to see the pitch helping the spin bowlers, but again, this wicket was under covers for the last one-and-a-half days.” Despite the conditions, Rahane expressed confidence in his spinners, emphasizing their ability to perform on any type of surface.
Sujan Mukherjee, who took over as the chief curator of Eden Gardens after Prabir Mukherjee’s resignation following a washed-out India-South Africa match in 2015, made it clear that he would not alter the pitch based on franchise requests. Speaking to RevSportz, he stated, “As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch.” Mukherjee emphasized that the nature of the Eden Gardens surface has remained consistent since he took charge and would not be changed in the future.
The veteran curator defended the pitch conditions by highlighting that RCB’s spinners managed to take wickets. “Their (RCB) spinners took four wickets between them,” Mukherjee stated. “What did the KKR spinners do? Krunal Pandya got three wickets. Suyash Sharma turned the ball to castle Andre Russell.”
However, Simon Doull was unimpressed with this justification, reiterating that if the curator refused to support KKR’s needs, the franchise should consider shifting their home matches to a different venue.
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