Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee retracted his earlier comments, saying no KKR official requested pitch requirements before their IPL 2025 opener.
Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee, who faced criticism for his remarks that franchises shouldn’t influence pitch preparation, has now clarified that no Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) official had requested any specific pitch requirements for their opening match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Mukherjee, who earlier insisted that he would not change the pitch conditions under any circumstances, has now softened his stance. He mentioned that he shares a positive relationship with KKR’s management and owners, emphasizing that he never denied anything to the team.
“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),” Mukherjee 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,” Sujan added.
Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull weighed in on the matter, stating that a curator’s responsibility is not to express opinions about matches but to prepare the pitch according to the home team’s requirements.
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The controversy began after KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane expressed a desire for more spin on the Eden Gardens pitch following their match against RCB. Although Rahane did not complain much, Mukherjee’s response stirred debate.
In an earlier interaction with RevSportz, Mukherjee had stated, “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.”
He further defended his stance by highlighting the performance of RCB spinners in the match. “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,” Mukherjee added.
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