New Delhi, April 22 – Renowned cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle has dismissed speculations surrounding his absence from the commentary panel during Monday’s Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans at Eden Gardens. As per agency report, Bhogle clarified that the match was simply not included in his pre-assigned commentary roster.
His clarification came a day after media reports highlighted a letter reportedly sent by Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) Secretary Naresh Ojha to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) nearly ten days ago. The letter had requested the removal of Bhogle and fellow commentator Simon Doull from commentary duties in Kolkata. The request was reportedly made following the duo’s criticism of the Eden Gardens pitch, which they suggested was not favorable to the local franchise KKR.
Taking to social media platform X, Bhogle stated that his absence from Monday’s game was unrelated to any controversy and that he had been scheduled for only two matches in Kolkata at the start of the tournament. He confirmed his presence at the first match and explained that he missed the second due to a family member’s illness.
Bhogle emphasized that speculation could have been avoided had his schedule been directly clarified with him. He reiterated that commentary rosters are finalized well in advance of the tournament, and Monday’s match was not part of his assigned duties.
The controversy surfaced as KKR faced a 39-run defeat against Gujarat Titans in their home fixture. Concerns about pitch conditions have been raised by KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Chandrakant Pandit, both of whom expressed dissatisfaction with the surface not favoring spin bowlers at Eden Gardens.
