IPL 2025 During a live panel talk, Doull boldly said the team should consider moving to a new city if they don’t get the pitch they want!
IPL 2025: Bhogle & Doull Out After Pitch Issue in Kolkata
IPL 2025 Things got heated after Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull made bold comments about the Eden Gardens pitch during a panel discussion. In IPL 2025, after KKR lost two of their first three home matches, both experts spoke out about the pitch not favoring spin bowlers, something the team had reportedly requested.
Simon Doull didn’t hold back, saying if the pitch curator isn’t listening to the team’s needs, maybe in IPL 2025 it’s time for KKR to “just move the franchise” elsewhere. Harsha Bhogle backed him up, saying home teams deserve conditions that help their bowlers.
But that didn’t sit well with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB).
No Mic Time! CAB Pushes Out Bhogle & Doull After Pitch Comments
The Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) is no stranger to drama, but this time, it’s not about the players—it’s about the commentators! Popular cricket experts Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull have been pulled from covering Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) home games after their bold comments about the pitch at Eden Gardens sparked major controversy.
It all started during a panel discussion on a well-known sports website. After KKR lost two of their first three home games, Simon Doull former New Zealand cricketer and now a no-nonsense commentator, didn’t hold back. He said that if KKR’s requests for spin-friendly pitches weren’t taken seriously, the team should consider relocating to another city.
“Time to Move?” – Doull Reacts to KKR Pitch Issues
“If the curator isn’t listening to what the team needs, even though they’re paying for the stadium and part of the IPL operations, then maybe it’s time to move the team somewhere else,” Doull said during the chat.
Harsha Bhogle, one of India’s most respected voices in cricket commentary, added fuel to the fire by agreeing with Doull. He pointed out that teams playing at home should get conditions that suit their bowlers, and he found it odd that KKR wasn’t getting any such advantage.
The duo’s public criticism didn’t sit well with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), which manages Eden Gardens in Kolkata. They strongly defended their pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee, saying he was just following the BCCI’s guidelines, which clearly state that no team is allowed to directly influence pitch conditions.
Angry over the public criticism of their pitch curator, CAB sent a letter to the BCCI nearly 10 days ago, asking for Bhogle and Doull to be removed from commentary in IPL 2025 for KKR’s home games. And guess what? Neither of them was seen behind the mic during Monday’s KKR vs Gujarat Titans game.
Sources say Bhogle wasn’t even scheduled for any KKR games, but it’s unclear if that was planned before or after the complaint.
CAB has stood by its pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee, saying he’s just following BCCI rules, which don’t allow teams to control pitch conditions. Still, KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane and coach Chandrakant Pandit have both publicly said they’re disappointed with the lack of spin-friendly pitches.
After KKR’s narrow loss to Lucknow Super Giants in a high-scoring match, Rahane didn’t hide his frustration, saying, “There was no help for the spinners,” and hinting that saying more could cause a “bawal” (controversy).
For now, Bhogle and Doull are out, and the pitch debate is far from over.