KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit has opened up on the recent pitch controversy surrounding the team’s home ground at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Just like KKR’s captain Ajinkya Rahane, Pandit was also vocal about the pitch favoring the home team.
The controversy started after Kolkata Knight Riders’ captain Ajinkya Rahane had asked for more spin-friendly pitches to make the pitch suitable for the home team’s strengths. However, the pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee clearly denied Rahane’s request.
When Chandrakant Pandit was asked about his views on this controversy, he backed his team’s captain by claiming that his team would like to see something in it for the spinners. It is to be noted that KKR has two of the best spinners in the league in the form of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.
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Chandrakant Pandit breaks silence on pitch controversy
During the pre-match press conference before the match against the Mumbai Indians, KKR head coach Chandrakant Pandit was asked about the ongoing controversy surrounding the pitch at Eden Gardens.
Pandit admitted that his team would love to play on pitches with their preference, but accepts that the control remains with the curator. Despite all the controversy, KKR is focused on the next game.
“Who will not be happy about that? I mean, this is a simple answer. See, as a coach, as a team manager, whatever the surface has been provided to us, we play. The control, of course, will be under the curator. And at this moment, the focus is definitely going to be on the next game tomorrow, which we are playing against MI,” Pandit mentioned.
The match between KKR and Mumbai Indians will be an away fixture for the Knight Riders as it will be played at Wankhede Stadium. It will be the venue’s first match of the ongoing IPL season.
Chandrakant Pandit is hopeful of spin-friendly pitches at Eden Gardens
While speaking further during the press conference, Chandrakant Pandit claimed that he is not aware of the system of other grounds but still expects something helpful for his spinners from the next home game.
“In charge of everything at the ground, I don’t know. That doesn’t mean that they (the franchises) have a control of preparing wickets. I mean, ultimately, I don’t know what is the system in different states or different grounds, whether the control is with the franchise,” noted Chandrakant Pandit.
“But, at the moment, what I understand is the surface which is given to us, as a team management, as a coach, as a captain, probably we expect something (helpful) to be provided. So, that’s all,” the KKR head coach added.
How did the controversy start?
The controversy started when Ajinkya Rahane asked for more spin-friendly wickets at Eden Gardens after KKR’s brutal defeat to RCB in the opening game of IPL 2025. However, the pitch curator of Eden Gardens, Sujan Mukherjee, bluntly denied the request by claiming that the franchises should have no say about the pitches.
“As long as I’m here, the Eden Gardens pitch will not change. 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. It was like this in the past. Things haven’t changed now, and it will not be altered in the future,” Mukherjee said.
Sujan Mukherjee’s comments were criticised by cricket experts Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull. Doull even suggested that KKR move their home venue out of the city in order to get a proper home advantage.
Kolkata Knight Riders lost their opening match to RCB but came back strongly to win their second match against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. After a game at Eden Gardens, their spinners came to the rescue by producing a match-winning performance against RR.
