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"Was Prevented Because": Harsha Bhogle Clears Air On Missing KKR vs GT IPL Match

Soumyajit Dutta

Harsha Bhogle [Source: @VikasYadav69014/X]Harsha Bhogle [Source: @VikasYadav69014/X]

Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle dismissed rumours linking his absence from Monday’s IPL clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans to a complaint by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). 

Bhogle clarified his non-attendance was due to pre-assigned commentary duties, emphasizing he was only scheduled for two Kolkata matches, one of which he missed for personal reasons.

Bhogle Clarifies Absence from KKR vs GT Commentary

The controversy arose after CAB reportedly urged the BCCI to remove Bhogle and Simon Doull from commentary roles following their criticism of the Eden Gardens pitch during earlier games. The surface, deemed unfavourable for KKR’s spin-heavy attack, sparked frustration within the franchise.

“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 stated on social media. 

He added that prior commitments and a family emergency kept him away, stressing, asking him would have resolved the issue.

"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."

KKR’s leadership, including captain Ajinkya Rahane and coach Chandrakant Pandit, have openly demanded spin-friendly tracks to leverage their squad’s strengths. 

CAB, however, defended curator Sujan Mukherjee, with Doull suggesting KKR consider relocating if pitch preferences aren’t met. Bhogle earlier remarked that home teams “deserved home advantage,” amplifying the debate over pitch preparation in IPL fixtures.