'Move Franchise Somewhere Else': KKR Advised To Leave Eden Gardens After Curator Allegedly Denies Pitch Request
Ajinkya Rahane had recently expressed his wish to see pitches at Eden Gardens to be more spin friendly to suit their bowling attack.
Kolkata Knight Riders have been advised that should their request for favourable pitches go unheard, they shouldn’t shy away from taking the extreme step of leaving Eden Gardens as their home venue. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane had expressed his desire to see the Kolkata pitch offer more assistance to his spinners after they endured a defeat in the IPL 2025 season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru last week.
In response to Rahane’s plea, Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee reportedly said the franchise don’t have any say in how the surface should behave. Mukherjee also claimed that till the time he’s in charge, the nature of the pitch will not change.
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“As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch. Ever since I have taken charge (as Eden curator), the pitches here have been like this. It was like this in the past," Mukherjee told Revsportz.
Now, former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull has said that the franchises pay stadium fees to use the venue and hence have every right to demand favourable pitches.
“If he’s (the curator) not taking heed of what the home team wants… I mean they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what’s going on in the IPL but if he’s still not paying heed of what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else. His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That’s not what he’s paid for," Doull said on Cricbuzz.
However, Mukherjee later made a U-turn on his previous comments claiming he hasn’t received any specific requirement.
“No official or player asked for the pitch requirement for the first match. A coach at the time of practice asked me about the behaviour of the pitch. I said ‘ghumega bhi aur accha chalega (pitch will turn, and it will be good for batting)’," Mukherjee was quoted as saying by Sports Tak.
“I never denied anything to KKR. We have been in good relations for a long time. I prepared the pitch as per BCCI guidelines. Those who are accusing me know nothing," he added.
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