NEW DELHI: After losing their opening game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the defending champions finally gained momentum in their Indian Premier League title defense by defeating Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets at Guwahati’s ACA Stadium. While Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Ajinkya Rahane was denied favourable conditions at their home ground – Eden Gardens – in the opening match, the team thrived in Guwahati and secured their first win of the tournament. Quinton de Kock played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 97 runs to guide KKR to victory in style.
Ahead of KKR’s opening game against RCB at Eden Gardens, reports had suggested that pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee had denied skipper Rahane’s request for a pitch that supported more spin.
To this, Mukherjee had stated that the pitch would not change “as long as I’m here.”
Former New Zealand cricketer and commentator Simon Doull suggested that KKR should consider “moving the franchise away somewhere else.”

“If he’s (the curator) not taking heed of what the home team wants… I mean they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what’s going on in the IPL but if he’s still not paying heed of what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else. His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That’s not what he’s paid for,” Doull said on Cricbuzz.
Harsha Bhogle also supported Doull’s view, stating: “If they are playing at home, should get the tracks that they think are suited for their bowlers. I saw something what the KKR curator has said.”
“If I’m in the KKR camp, I’m extremely unhappy of what he said because I’m not asking for a 120 surface. I’m just saying, give me a surface where my bowlers can win matches. To say, ‘sorry, we don’t prepare pitches like that…’ No. We are not asking you to make a 120 pitch, we are not asking you to make a 240 pitch. But I think home advantage in a tournament like IPL is absolutely legitimate. That will enhance the tournament because winning away becomes crucial then,” Bhogle said on the same show.