Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee has clarified his stance after receiving criticism for his comments about franchises’ involvement in pitch preparation.
Mukherjee has reversed his initial position, stating he maintains a positive relationship with the Kolkata Knight Riders team management and owners.
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He explained that no KKR official or player requested specific pitch conditions for their opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
“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 (the pitch will turn, and it will be good for batting),” he told 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.”
Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull had stated that curators should focus on preparing pitches according to home team requirements rather than sharing opinions about matches.
After the RCB game, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane expressed his preference for more spin on the Eden Gardens pitch, though he remained largely uncritical.
When questioned about Rahane’s comments, Mukherjee initially took a firm stance on pitch preparation.
“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.”
“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.”
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