CAB Seeks Ban on Bhogle and Doull Amid Eden Gardens Pitch Row During IPL 2025

A fresh controversy has engulfed the Indian Premier League 2025 season as the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has formally approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) with a request to bar senior commentators Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull from covering matches at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens. The move comes in the wake of the duo’s recent comments suggesting that the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) should consider relocating from their iconic home ground if the local pitch curator continues to ignore the franchise’s preferences for track preparation.

In what has quickly snowballed into a storm of opinion and administrative tension, both Bhogle and Doull had, during commentary and media interactions, expressed concern over the pitch conditions at Eden Gardens not aligning with KKR’s tactical requirements. Doull, speaking in a segment on Cricbuzz, had stated bluntly that if the curator refused to cater to the team’s needs, the franchise should simply find another venue. He asserted that the franchise invests significant resources in hosting matches and therefore deserves some say in the pitch conditions. Harsha Bhogle echoed similar sentiments, noting that teams should ideally receive pitches tailored to their strengths, especially when playing at home.

The remarks, however, did not sit well with the CAB, which responded by defending its veteran curator Sujan Mukherjee. The association maintains that Mukherjee has acted strictly in accordance with BCCI’s pitch preparation protocols, which prohibit franchises from influencing pitch behavior to their advantage. According to the rulebook, curators must ensure neutrality and maintain the integrity of the playing surface across all venues, without catering to individual team strategies.

Tensions between KKR and the Eden Gardens curator reportedly began when KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane asked for a more spin-friendly surface to benefit bowlers like Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine. However, the actual wickets produced turned out to be more conducive to fast bowlers and high-scoring matches, diverging from the team’s tactical blueprint. This has led to growing frustration within the franchise and sparked broader discussions among analysts and commentators about the fairness of pitch preparations in franchise cricket.

In its letter to the BCCI, CAB has termed the statements made by Bhogle and Doull as irresponsible and detrimental to the reputation of the association and its officials. It insists that the commentary crossed a professional line, with the commentators allegedly interfering in administrative and operational matters that are outside the purview of on-air analysis. The CAB also underscored that both Bhogle and Doull’s remarks undermine the credibility of the pitch preparation process governed by the national cricket board.

While the BCCI has not yet issued a formal response to the CAB’s request, it is being reported that neither Bhogle nor Doull is expected to be part of the commentary panel during the upcoming IPL 2025 match at Eden Gardens, where hosts KKR are set to clash with Gujarat Titans. Whether this absence is a temporary measure or a reflection of internal decisions is yet to be confirmed. The matter assumes even greater significance given that the IPL 2025 final is slated to be held at Eden Gardens on May 25, making the current controversy even more sensitive in nature.

This latest clash highlights the complex dynamics between franchise ambitions, local cricket bodies, and media voices in a tournament as vast and commercially intense as the IPL. As commentators push the boundaries of critique and teams demand more tailored conditions, the debate over neutrality versus strategy in pitch preparation is likely to remain a contentious topic. With millions of fans closely following both the action on the field and the debates off it, how the BCCI chooses to navigate this incident could set a precedent for future seasons.

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