CAB Asks BCCI To Ban Harsha Bhogle And Simon Doull From IPL 2025 Matches In Kolkata

According to reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) received a strongly worded letter from the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) on Monday asking them to forbid Harsha Bhogle and/or Simon Doull from commentating any IPL games at the Eden Gardens.

Sujan Mukherjee’s refusal to give the KKR team a spin-friendly surface during last month's IPL 2025 season opening in Kolkata against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru reportedly infuriated the team's management.

A dispute has been going on between CAB and KKR

Varun Chakaravarthy, their top spinner, was hammered for 43 runs in four overs during the match.

The wicket has often proven to be more pace-friendly, encouraging high-scoring games, despite the fact that KKR captain Rahane reportedly asked Mukherjee to create a more spin-friendly track for the team's talents like Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine.

Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull slam CAB and urge KKR to move out of Kolkata

In contrast, the CAB backed curator Mukherjee, asserting that he has done nothing wrong and is only abiding by BCCI regulations, which state that no franchise has the authority to dictate the type of pitch that must be created at a site.

Simon Doull remarked in a discussion that if the Eden Gardens curator continues to be uncooperative, the Ajinkya Rahane-led franchise should look for a new home.

“If he's (the curator) not taking heed of what the home team wants… I mean, they are paying the stadium fees, they are paying for what's going on in the IPL but if he's still not paying heed of what the home team wants, then just move the franchise away to somewhere else. His job is not to pass an opinion on the game. That's not what he's paid for,” Doull had said on Cricbuzz.

Harsha Bhogle had also echoed his sentiments and said: “If they are playing at home, (they) should get the tracks that they think are suited for their bowlers. I saw something (about) what the KKR curator has said.”

The Cricket Association of Bengal has not taken kindly to the criticism of Bhogle and Doull and have now written to BCCI about the same.

CAB red flags Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull, wants BCCI to ban them from KKR games in Kolkata

Following their outburst against Eden curator Sujan Mukherjee, Bhogle and Doull have been red-flagged by CAB, according to the RevSportz report.

According to the report, Mukherjee has the support of the CAB, which believes he has done nothing wrong and was only adhering to the BCCI rulebook, which makes it very clear that no IPL team should have any input over the pitch's characteristics.

The report stated that neither Bhogle nor Doull will be in Kolkata on Monday for KKR's home match against the Gujarat Titans, even though the BCCI has not yet replied to the letter. Whether the two return to commentate the remaining IPL games in Kolkata is still up in the air.

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