Debasis Sen in Kolkata
Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) dominant 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens on Thursday highlighted the fact that it is crucial to focus on playing quality cricket, rather than being overly concerned with the condition of the pitch. The defending champions played as a cohesive unit, with captain Ajinkya Rahane and vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer leading by example. There were useful contributions from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Vaibhav Arora and Harshit Rana as well.
The victory not only pushed KKR up the points table to fifth, but also gave a much-needed boost to their Net Run Rate (+0.070). Leading into the match, there was considerable discussion about the nature of the wicket, with KKR captain Rahane and coach Chandrakant Pandit both expressing their desire for a spin-friendly pitch. However, Eden Gardens’ chief curator Sujan Mukherjee made it clear that the pitch would adhere to the BCCI’s prescribed guidelines, and no compromises would be made on that front.
“I was never under any pressure from anyone”, Sujan Mukherjee said to Revsportz a day after the game. “I always prepare this kind of wicket, which has assistance for everyone. It has always been my priority is to produce a good wicket.”
Talking about KKR’s loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening encounter at the same venue, Mukherjee said, “They (KKR) did not play well in the first match. The wicket did offer some turn in the first game as well. The pitch for the SRH game was not different from the first match against RCB.”
Mukherjee was appointed the chief curator when former India captain Sourav Ganguly was the President of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Under him, the nature of the Eden Gardens pitches has changed considerably in the last few years. The wickets do have some nice bounce and carry for the fast bowlers, while the spinners can also get purchase.
On being asked if any of the KKR players and support staffs had any words with him after the game against Sunrisers, Mukherjee said, “Why should I be interested in having a talk with anyone from KKR? I am not answerable to them about the pitches. There is a clear guideline in place for the curators from BCCI, and I have always tried to follow it.”
A day before the game, Pandit was seen having a brief chat with the curator. On being asked what the discussion was, Mukherjee said, “Chandrakant Pandit is a good friend of me since his playing days. We shared a very good relationship, even when he was the coach of Madhya Pradesh and Vidharbha team. It is natural we keep chatting with each other. Even Rahane enquired about the wicket and I told him to focus on playing good cricket rather than thinking too much about the pitches.”
Despite the external focus on the pitch, KKR’s approach in the Sunrisers game proved that adaptability and team spirit are key factors for a positive outcome in a T20 game. The win could be a turning point for KKR in this season, and the team’s performance on Thursday night should provide them the much-needed confidence and momentum.