Recently, a boiling tension turned into a full-blown controversy as The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) fired off a scathing letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). CAB request to ban Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from commentary duties at Eden Gardens for the rest of IPL 2025.
Background of the Controversy
It all started when the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), defending champions and one of IPL’s most passionate franchises, weren’t thrilled about the pitch conditions at Eden Gardens during their season opener. Instead of the usual spin-friendly wicket that favors their bowlers, especially Varun Chakaravarthy, the surface offered little support—and the spinner was taken to the cleaners. That match became ground zero for a storm of opinions, with Bhogle and Doull throwing sharp jabs on-air and the Eden Gardens curator Sujan Mukherjee bearing the brunt.
CAB’s Strong Letter to BCCI
Feeling the heat from the commentators’ remarks, the CAB stood firm behind their man. They penned a direct, no-nonsense letter to BCCI. They requested the BCCI not to assign Harsha Bhogle or Simon Doull for any of the remaining six IPL matches at Eden Gardens, including the all-important Qualifier 2 and the grand finale. According to the CAB, Sujan Mukherjee was merely following the rulebook, and their association would not tolerate unfair vilification.
What Harsha Bhogle Said
On a Cricbuzz episode, Bhogle expressed frustration at Eden’s refusal to offer a wicket that suited KKR’s bowlers. Bhogle wasn’t asking for a rigged pitch—he just believed that giving teams surfaces aligned with their strengths made the competition more dynamic.
“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 in a Cricbuzz show.
What Simon Doull Added
Simon Doull didn’t hold back either. He took a more aggressive tone, even suggesting that if KKR wasn’t being heard, they should consider shifting base. Doull’s remark was seen as an overreach by many, and it’s what ultimately prompted CAB to escalate the issue.
Doull added, “If he’s 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.”
Sujan Mukherjee’s Rebuttal
Sujan wasn’t going to sit silently while being accused. He fired back with both clarity and confidence, pointing to the BCCI’s official stance. For Sujan, the matter was simple—he was doing his job by the book. In a particularly blunt statement, Sujan made it clear that Bhogle and Doull’s opinions carried little weight in his world:
Sujan firmly responded, “I do not have to bother about what Harsha Bhogle or Simon Doull said. What matters to me is what the spectators and my association say about the wicket. I am accountable to the BCCI for producing a good sporting wicket.”
Speaking to Revsportz last month, Sujan stated, “As per the BCCI guidelines, it is clearly mentioned that the pitch and ground preparation for all IPL regular season matches is the responsibility of the chief curator of the host association under the guidance from the BCCI-appointed venue curator, and they will be the sole decision-maker regarding the nomination of practice and match pitches, as is the case for first-class matches in India.”
The Role of a Curator: Explained
Curators are the unsung architects of cricket matches. Their job isn’t to please franchises or follow team strategies—it’s to prepare fair, competitive pitches under guidance from the BCCI. In essence, they’re like chefs in a kitchen with a set recipe—they can season it a bit, but they can’t change the whole dish just to suit one diner. Sujan isn’t a newcomer to Eden. He’s been around since 2015, replacing the legendary Prabir Mukherjee. Through rains, controversies, and high-pressure matches, he’s earned CAB’s trust.
Get the latest cricket news here, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more such updates.
