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Harsha Bhogle clarified that his absence from the KKR vs GT IPL match was due to prior scheduling and a family illness, not because of a CAB complaint over his pitch remarks.
Noted cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has rejected speculation linking his absence from the Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2025 match to a complaint by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Bhogle clarified that he was only assigned two matches in Kolkata this season and had no plans to cover the Monday fixture at Eden Gardens.
"There are some inappropriate conclusions being drawn about why I wasn't at yesterday's game in Kolkata. Quite simply, it wasn't on the list of matches I was down to do!" Bhogle posted on social media platform 'X'.
"Asking me would have resolved the issue. Rosters are done before the tournament starts. I was rostered for two games in Kolkata. I was there for the first and an illness in the family prevented me from being at the 2nd," he added, without specifying the matches.
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CAB Had Objected to Bhogle, Doull Over Pitch Remarks
Bhogle’s clarification comes after media reports revealed a letter sent by CAB secretary Naresh Ojha to the BCCI about 10 days ago, demanding the removal of Bhogle and New Zealand commentator Simon Doull from the commentary panel for matches in Kolkata. The CAB’s objection stemmed from remarks made by both commentators regarding the Eden Gardens pitch, which they claimed was not aiding the local franchise KKR.
KKR Camp Unhappy With Eden Gardens Surface
KKR, who suffered a 39-run defeat to Gujarat Titans on Monday, have voiced concerns over the Eden Gardens track. Captain Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Chandrakant Pandit have both demanded a more spin-friendly pitch to suit the strengths of their bowling unit, which includes Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Moeen Ali.
Following the CAB’s support for curator Sujan Mukherjee, Doull had controversially remarked that KKR might want to consider finding a new home ground if their pitch requirements were not being met.
Bhogle, for his part, had echoed the sentiment that KKR deserved to have the home advantage.
