When Ajinkya Rahane’s predecessor as Knight Riders captain complained about Eden Gardens pitch

With the Indian Premier League season just two games old for the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), there is already trouble in the air in Kolkata with Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee turning down KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane’s request to provide him with pitches that aid his bowlers. Mukherjee has reportedly said that the pitch at Eden Gardens won’t change as long as he’s in charge. This has led to experts like Simon Doull remarking that KKR should move the team to a different venue.
But this is not new. Even before Rahane, a different Kolkata Knight Riders captain had gotten into a disagreement with pitch curator Mukherjee. This was two seasons back, when KKR was led Nitish Rana in 2023, who had expressed his displeasure at the pitch his team was being served.
Rana had gone to the extent of saying that every team in the IPL had home advantage “except KKR” at Eden Gardens.
Story continues below this ad

This had led Eden Gardens pitch curator Mukherjee to lash out at the KKR captain in an explosive interview to The Indian Express two years ago.
READ MORE: Simon Doull tells KKR management, ‘Move the franchise away… if (Eden Gardens) curator is not paying heed’
File image of the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. (Express photo Partha Paul)
Mukherjee had defended himself stating that he was not bound any rule which stated that he provide pitches at the Eden Gardens as per the KKR captain’s wishes.
“IPL is not played on home advantage, and the captain may say anything he wants,” Mukherjee said. “Does IPL have a clause where it is written that pitches have to be produced according to the wishes of the IPL franchise? … Look at other IPL teams, like RCB and DC; they do not talk or complain about home advantage. They play on what is provided to them,” Mukherjee had added.