‘Kuch Bolunga, Toh Bawal Ho Jayega': Rahane’s Subtle Dig At Kolkata Pitch Curator After KKR’s Narrow Loss

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain Ajinkya Rahane didn’t hold back after his team’s narrow four-run loss to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a high-scoring thriller in the 21st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Eden Gardens on April 8 (Tuesday). Rahane appeared to take a veiled swipe at the venue’s pitch curator saying that the curator had already drawn enough attention to the issue and he preferred not to add to it with any strong statements.

The talks over the Eden Gardens pitch gained traction after KKR’s reported displeasure with the Eden Gardens curator for not producing spin-friendly surfaces, particularly ahead of their season opener against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Sujan Mukherjee, the Eden Gardens pitch curator, however, defended his stance by citing BCCI guidelines, which clearly specify that pitch preparation is the sole responsibility of the chief curator and not influenced by franchise demands.

The KKR vs LSG clash turned out to be a run-fest, with Lucknow piling up 238 runs in the first innings. Kolkata came close in their chase but ultimately fell just 4 runs short.

'Main Kuch Bolunga, Toh Bawal Ho Jayega'

Rahane avoided commenting directly on the Eden pitch, saying the issue had already been overly discussed and any further remarks could spark controversy.

"See, there's been enough talk about the wicket. Aap logon ne bahut usko yeh kar diya hai. Toh agar main abhi kuch bolunga na, toh bawal ho jayega. (You people have already hyped it up a lot. So if I say anything now, it will create a big controversy)," Rahane said in the post-match press conference as quoted by PTI.

Rahane also remarked that the curator had received enough publicity and suggested he was content with it.

"Jo hamare curator hai, unko bahut publicity mila. I think he's happy with that publicity. Home advantage ke baare mein aapko jo likhna hai, aap likh sakto, jo laga. (Our curator has got a lot of publicity. I think he's happy with that publicity. You can write whatever you feel like about the home advantage)." "If I have any concern, I would probably convey it to the IPL rather than speaking about it here," he added further.

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