Ajinkya Rahane had called for Eden Gardens pitch to assist KKR spinners after loss to RCB.
Eden Gardens' pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee has flatly refused Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane's veiled request for more spin-friendly tracks at the stadium in IPL 2025.
Defending champions KKR began their IPL 2025 season with a seven-wicket home defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Rahane, the new captain, top-scored with 56 (31) at number three, but the remainder of the batting lineup struggled, and the team finished with a disappointing 174/8.
RCB scarcely gave the hosts a chance in the chase, scoring the goal in 16.2 overs, inspired by Virat Kohli's unbeaten 59 (36).
After the match, Ajinkya Rahane, skipper of the KKR, had said: “We would love to see the pitch helping the spin bowler,s but again, this wicket was undercover for the last one-and-a-half days. Both the spinners we have, the quality they have, they can bowl in any kind of wick,et and I am sure they are confident as well."
However, Mukherjee has rejected such calls for the KKR franchise, stating the rules and mentioning that the Eden Gardens pitch will not change until he is the curator.
“As long as I’m here, Eden Gardens pitch will not change. 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. Things haven’t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future,” Mukherjee told RevSportz.
He also criticized KKR's spinners for not being talented enough to use the pitch effectively, while citing the success of RCB spinners.
“Their (RCB) spinners took four wickets between them. What did the KKR spinners do? Krunal Pandya got three wickets. Suyash Sharma turned the ball to castle Andre Russell," he added.
This is the second occasion in recent years that a KKR captain has been seen at odds with the pitch curator.
In IPL 2023, Nitish Rana, who was filling in for the injured Shreyas Iyer, stated that every IPL franchise had a home advantage except for KKR, whose identity was suffocating opponents with spin.
“I think every team has a home advantage except KKR. We play on good pitches and score 200 and 200+ runs, and on the other day, we play on slower pitches, and the scores are low. I think this shows the real quality of the batter to adjust to all the conditions," he had said.