'As long as I'm here, the pitch won't change': Eden curator denies KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane's request for IPL game
KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane finds himself at odds with Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee, as he refused to change the playing surface in Kolkata.
Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee shut down Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane’s request for the pitch to support more spin. In the wake of their heavy seven-wicket loss in the IPL 2025 opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rahane asked for a pitch that would support his team better.
However, Mukherjee, who has been in charge of the Eden Gardens turf and pitches for nearly a decade, refused to bow down to Rahane’s request. Speaking to RevSportz, Mukherjee immediately shut down any prospects of changing the nature of the pitch to suit the requirements of KKR.
“As long as I’m here, Eden Gardens pitch will not change,” said Mukherjee staunchly. Mukherjee has been in charge of the Eden Gardens pitch since he was placed in the role of head curator by then-CAB president Sourav Ganguly in October 2015.
“As per the IPL rules and regulations, franchises have no say over the pitch. Ever since I have taken charge, the pitches here have been like this,” said Mukherjee. “It was like this in the past. Things haven’t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future.”
Following KKR’s opening loss, new captain Rahane had said in the post-match interview: “We would love to see the pitch helping the spin bowlers but again, this wicket was under covers for the last one-and-a-half days.”
‘What did the KKR spinners do?’: Mukherjee bashes Narine, Varun
Anticyclonic conditions in the Bay of Bengal had led to heavy rainfall in Kolkata and surrounding areas ahead of Saturday’s match. Following this, the match did take place in full, but KKR’s total of 174 was hauled down with 22 balls to spare by RCB.
Rahane pointed out how KKR’s strength was its spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy. “Both the spinners we have, the quality they have, they can bowl in any kind of wicket and I am sure they are confident as well,” Rahane had explained.
However, Mukherjee shot back at this interpretation as well, arguing the pitch had plenty to offer for spinners on the basis of RCB’s bowling innings.
“Their (RCB) spinners took four wickets between them,” argued Mukherjee. “What did the KKR spinners do? Krunal Pandya got three wickets. Suyash Sharma turned the ball to castle Andre Russell.”
Defending champions KKR start their season off on a sour note, and now stand at odds with the curator of their home ground. Mukherjee redeveloped the Eden Gardens pitches when he took charge, and seems steadfast in his approach to not bending for the IPL franchise.
KKR’s next game will see them take to the road, as they head to Guwahati to play Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday.
