On Monday, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) sent a strongly worded letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), urging them to prohibit Harsha Bhogle and/or Simon Doull from providing commentary for any IPL matches at Eden Gardens, as reported by RevSportz. The renowned venue in Kolkata is scheduled to host six more matches in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, which includes four home games for the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as Qualifier 2 and the final.

According to the report, the CAB has raised concerns about Bhogle and Doull following their criticism of Eden curator Sujan Mukherjee. The CAB has expressed its support for Mukherjee, asserting that he has acted appropriately and adhered to the guidelines outlined in the BCCI rule book, which explicitly states that IPL franchises should not influence the pitch conditions.

The report also mentioned that while the BCCI has not yet addressed the letter, neither Bhogle nor Doull will be in Kolkata on Monday for the KKR's home match against the Gujarat Titans. It remains uncertain whether they will return for commentary duties for the remaining IPL matches in Kolkata.

What did Bhogle and Doull say about the Eden curator?

Reports indicate that KKR management expressed dissatisfaction with Sujan's decision not to provide a spin-friendly pitch for the IPL 2025 season opener in Kolkata against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru last month. During this match, their primary spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy, was hit for 43 runs in just four overs.

Following KKR's recovery from their loss to RCB with a victory over the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, Bhogle criticized Sujan for disregarding KKR's 'home advantage.' He stated, "Rajasthan Royals, when playing at home, should receive pitches that suit their bowlers. The same applies to KKR. I noted comments made by the KKR curator. If I were part of the KKR team, I would be extremely displeased with his remarks because I am not requesting a pitch that favors a score of 120. I am simply asking for a surface that allows my bowlers to secure victories. To claim, 'sorry, we don't prepare pitches like that...' is unacceptable. We are not asking for a pitch that favors 120 runs or one that supports 240 runs. However, I believe that home advantage in a tournament like the IPL is entirely justified. It enhances the competition, making away victories more significant," he remarked during a Cricbuzz show.

Doull, a panel member, suggested that if the Eden curator continues to ignore the needs of the home team, KKR should consider relocating from Kolkata.

"If he is not attentive to the requirements of the home team... they are paying stadium fees and contributing to the IPL, yet if he still disregards their needs, then the franchise should just move elsewhere. His role is not to express opinions on the game; that is not what he is compensated for," the former New Zealand cricketer stated.

In an interview with Revsportz last month, Sujan defended himself against the criticism by reiterating the BCCI guidelines, which stipulate that pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches falls under the purview of the chief curator of the host association, with guidance from the BCCI.

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