Eden Gardens pitch curator Sajan Mukherjee recently stated that he denied a request from KKR's captain to prepare a spin-friendly surface for their matches. Ajinkya Rahane expressed his frustration over this decision, particularly following his team's loss to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first match. He had hoped for a pitch more conducive to spin bowlers in the upcoming games.
Rahane commented,
"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. Both our spinners are high-quality players who can bowl well on any type of wicket, and I am sure they are confident as well," he said after the match.
Sajan Mukherjee addressed Rahane's initial request and later clarified his position by stating,
"I won’t change the pitch," adding that the Royal Challengers Bangalore spinners had performed well on the surface. He also mentioned the IPL's rules regarding pitch preparation: "As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch. Ever since I have taken charge as the Eden curator, the pitches here have been consistent. They've been this way in the past, and they will not change in the future," Mukherjee told RevSportz.
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Eden Gardens pitch curator receives backlash
This comment from Mukherjee received backlash from fans and cricket experts, including Harsha Bhogle, who criticized him for not acknowledging the home team's advantage. Bhogle remarked,
"If I’m in the KKR camp, I’m extremely unhappy with what he said because I’m not asking for a pitch that favors low scores. I’m just saying, give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, ‘Sorry, we don’t prepare pitches like that…’ is unacceptable. We are not asking you to create a pitch that yields scores of 120 or 240. Home advantage in a tournament like the IPL is absolutely legitimate and essential for enhancing the competition," emphasized Bhogle during a Cricbuzz show.
In light of the criticism, Mukherjee later backtracked on his earlier comment, stating that no one from the home team requested a spin-friendly track. He explained,
"No official or player asked for pitch requirements for the first match. A coach did inquire about the pitch behavior during practice, and I told him it would turn and be good for batting," Mukherjee told Sports Tak.
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He also clarified that he never denied KKR's requests and emphasized his longstanding positive relationship with the management.
"I never denied anything to KKR. We have had a good relationship for a long time. I prepared the pitch according to BCCI guidelines. Those who are accusing me know nothing," Mukherjee stated.
Despite the controversy, KKR went on to win their second match away from home, defeating the Rajasthan Royals on a spin-friendly surface in Guwahati.
