Harsha Bhogle, Simon Doull dropped from IPL commentary at Eden: reports

Famous cricket commentators Harsha Bhogle and Simon Doull have reportedly been removed from the commentary team for Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) home matches in the IPL. This happened after they both criticised the pitch at Eden Gardens and supported KKR's request for spin-friendly conditions.

KKR's captain and coach had earlier complained that the pitch didn’t help their spin bowlers, making it difficult for them to gain a home advantage. Bhogle and Doull discussed this issue on a cricket show and said that KKR should get pitches that suit their playing style.

In fact, Doull went a step further and said, "If the curator is not listening to what the team wants, they should consider moving the franchise. They pay for the stadium, so they should have a say."

Bhogle agreed, saying, "If they are playing at home, they should get the kind of pitches that help their bowlers."

Following their remarks, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) reportedly became unhappy and sent a letter to the BCCI, asking that Bhogle and Doull not be assigned commentary duties for KKR’s home matches.

Interestingly, neither Bhogle nor Doull was seen in the commentary panel during KKR’s recent match against the Gujarat Titans. However, sources close to Bhogle said he was never scheduled for any KKR games this season.

"Bhogle and Doull are not part of the IPL commentary team for KKR's home matches. But this may change if Eden Gardens hosts the Qualifier 2 and Final on May 23 and 25," media reports claim.

Meanwhile, the CAB has supported its pitch curator, Sujan Mukherjee, saying he is simply following BCCI rules, which state that no franchise can control or change the nature of the pitch.

KKR had reportedly asked for a pitch that helps spinners like Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine, and Moeen Ali, but the conditions at Eden Gardens did not favour spin bowling in the earlier matches.