Kolkata Knight Riders‘ captain, Ajinkya Rahane, has expressed his frustrations in regards to the pitch ready at Eden Gardens, and he didn’t maintain again in his remarks directed on the pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee. Rahane advised that Mukherjee is probably going having fun with all the eye he’s been getting these days concerning the crew’s supposed house benefit. After KKR’s slim loss to Lucknow Tremendous Giants—by simply 4 runs—Rahane got here out with some fairly simple feedback, though he tried to avoid getting right into a full-blown debate in regards to the enjoying floor.
This loss marked KKR’s second defeat at house this season, and it was evident that the pitch was fairly flat. Lucknow Tremendous Giants racked up an enormous 238 runs of their 20 overs, and KKR got here shut with 234 runs however in the end fell brief. Rahane has been vocal previously about how the pitch hasn’t actually supported spinners, who’re a significant power for KKR. He reiterated this level following the sport’s conclusion, saying, Let me simply be clear—there was no assist for the spinners.
Rahane was understandably cautious when he mentioned, You guys have already talked a lot in regards to the pitch, if I say one thing now, it may result in a giant mess. He talked about that the media protection had already created fairly the excitement, and he didn’t wish to fan the flames any additional. When he made his feedback in regards to the pitch, Mukherjee didn’t maintain again both. He firmly said that the pitch wouldn’t change below his watch, and he put the blame again on KKR’s spinners, suggesting they wanted to step up their sport.
Rahane additionally hinted at taking any considerations on to the IPL authorities as a substitute of discussing them overtly, suggesting that there’s a broader dialog available somewhat than splitting hairs within the media. The continued back-and-forth is kind of typical in sports activities, the place each participant and coach has their opinion on how issues needs to be run, particularly in the case of house video games.
Whereas Rahane and most captains imagine {that a} house pitch ought to complement their crew’s strengths, Mukherjee stands by the league’s guidelines that state the franchises don’t have management over the pitch, as that’s managed by the state cricket affiliation. This complete state of affairs displays the tightrope that gamers and curators typically stroll in skilled sports activities, the place each phrase can spark a response, and generally, tensions can run excessive over what looks like a easy situation. Followers and analysts shall be holding a detailed eye on how this all unfolds because the season progresses.
