Kolkata: The Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) has written a strong-worded letter to BCCI on Monday requesting them not to allow Harsha Bhogale and Simon Dougle to commentate for IPL matches which are to be held in Kolkata. The iconic venue in Kolkata is set to host six more games in the ongoing season of the IPL, which includes four home matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, along with Qualifier 2 and the final.
CAB is currently miffed with the remarks from the duo against Eden Curator Sujan Mukherjee.
🚨 BHOGLE & DOULL RED FLAGGED. 🚨
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) April 21, 2025
✍️ The CAB has written a letter to the BCCI to not allow Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull to commentate at Eden Gardens.
📢 Doull previously suggested KKR should move their home ground out of Kolkata due to the curator. (Revsportz). pic.twitter.com/LdE4nGHLqs
The controversy around the nature of the Eden Garden pitch has been at the centre of the controversy from the start of the tournament. Also, the issue is under discussion in the cricket fraternity before KKR’s game against the Gujarat Titans on Monday.
KKR lost their IPL 2025 opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at home. In the press conference, skipper Ajinkya Rahane had expressed that the team needed a more spin-friendly surface. The team had asked for it, but curator Sujan Mukherjee had denied the request in writing.
After this, Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull criticised the pitch curator for the same in the podcast of a popular cricket website.
"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 that the KKR curator has said. If I'm in the KKR camp, I'm extremely unhappy with what he said because I'm not asking for a 120 surface,” Bhogle had stated.
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.”
CAB has seen the remark from the duo as an insult to the organisation. Therefore, CAB has requested that BCCI to not send the two commentators to Eden in a letter.
