Xtra Time Web Desk. Kolkata Knight Riders management is not happy with the surface provided to them for their home matches at Eden Gardens in the current IPL 2023 season. KKR captain Nitish Rana openly criticized the wicket at Eden Gardens after their win against Chennai Super Kings. Rana was quoted as saying that every team in the IPL has home ground advantage except KKR. Reacting to Rana’s comment, CAB pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee told Xtra Time that there is no such rule that wickets should be made as per the wishes of the franchise.
With the IPL 2023 PlayOffs at stake, will KKR get a wicket to suit their slow bowlers for the final home game at the Eden Gardens is the big question. Historically, the franchise has depended on spinners for their success. Twice KKR have won the IPL titles in 2012 and 2014, both times they have quality spinners in Sunil Narine, Shakib al Hasan and Piyush Chawla.
Eden Gardens has produced sports wickets in recent years and the proof is that the state association has been awarded by the BCCI. The wicket offers bounce and carry unlike earlier slow and low surfaces.
Apart from Varun Chakravarty, who has taken 19 wickets in the season so far and Suyash Sharma (10) to some extent, none of the slow bowlers have performed. Sunil Narine has been a pale shadow of himself. So blaming the Eden Gardens wicket directly is not fair either.
Come Saturday (May 20), it will be clear whether the hosts will get any help from 22 yards in the must-win game against Lucknow Super Giants.