CAB seeks ban on Simon Doull, Harsha Bhogle for IPL 2025 matches in Kolkata, fires 'strong letter' to BCCI: Report
While BCCI is yet to respond to the letter, neither Harsha Bhogle nor Simon Doull will be present in Kolkata on Monday for KKR's home game against GT
The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), on Monday, wrote a strong-worded letter to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), requesting them not to allow Harsha Bhogle and/or Simon Doull for commentary duties for any IPL matches at the Eden Gardens, according to a report in RevSportz. The iconic venue in Kolkata is yet to host six more games in the ongoing IPL 2025 season, including four home games for defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, along with Qualifier 2 and the finale.
Based on the report, CAB has red-flagged Bhogle and Doull in the wake of their outburst against Eden curator Sujan Mukherjee. The report added that Mukherjee has the backing of the CAB, who feel he has done nothing wrong and was merely following the instructions in the BCCI rule book, which clearly states that no IPL franchise should have a say on the nature of the pitch.
The report said that while BCCI is yet to respond to the letter, neither Bhogle nor Doull will be present in Kolkata on Monday for KKR's home game against the Gujarat Titans. It is yet to be seen if the duo returns for commentary duties for the rest of the IPL matches in Kolkata.
CAB officials did not respond to text messages from Hindustan Times.
What did Bhogle and Doull say about the Eden curator?
According to reports, KKR management was not happy that Sujan refused to provide them a spin-friendly surface in the IPL 2025 season opener in Kolkata last month against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The match saw their lead spinner, Varun Chakaravarthy, clobbered for 43 runs in four overs.
After KKR bounced back from the defeat against RCB to beat the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, Bhogle lashed out at Sujan for showing no regard for KKR's 'home advantage'. "RR, if they are playing at home, should get the tracks that they think are suited for their bowlers. So too with KKR. 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," he had said in a Cricbuzz show.
Doull, who was part of the panel, added that if the Eden curator maintains his stance, KKR should move out of Kolkata and find a new home.
"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," the former New Zealand cricketer said.
Speaking to Revsportz last month, Sujan hit back at the criticism by reiterating BCCI guidelines, saying that teams and players should not have a say in pitch preparations.
"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. It is also instructed that the franchises and players shall not have any say in the preparation of the wicket. The BCCI chief curator is available to give any advice that is required and will also be able to intervene if any issues arise," he said.
Sujan, who replaced Prabir Mukherjee as the chief curator of Eden Gardens following the latter's resignation after a washout game between India and South Africa in 2015, also lashed out at Doull and Bhogle for their comments.
"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."
