Ajinkya Rahane’s KKR shut down pitch controversy with commanding victory over SRH at Eden Gardens – Firstpost

In the lead-up to the
IPL 2025 clash between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Eden Gardens, much attention was directed towards the pitch conditions. KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane’s remarks about desiring a spin-friendly pitch led to a public exchange with the stadium’s chief curator, Sujan Mukherjee. Despite the controversy, KKR’s emphatic 80-run victory over SRH showed that all the team needed was a good all-round performance, nothing else.

KKR’s dominance proves pitch controversy was a non-issue​

Before the KKR vs SRH IPL 2025 match, Rahane made it clear that he wanted home conditions to favour the team’s strengths, particularly their spin attack led by Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy.

After KKR’s loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the season opener, Rahane had said that his request for spin-friendly tracks at Eden Gardens was denied. Mukherjee apparently dismissed his suggestion of altering the surface, citing BCCI’s rules that franchises and players are barred from influencing pitch preparation.

The debate soon turned into a talking point, with experts questioning whether home teams should have more influence over pitch preparations in the IPL because, in international cricket, teams always alter conditions to suit their playing style.

In the IPL too, teams have previously tailored pitch conditions to suit their style. But Eden Gardens’ curator refusing to do the same for KKR turned into a controversy. However, as KKR faced SRH on Thursday, it became clear that matches are won by performances and not conditions.

KKR’s all-round performance trumps pitch concerns

KKR’s batting unit set the foundation for a commanding win. After losing early wickets, Venkatesh Iyer (60 off 29) and Rinku Singh (32* off 17) took charge, stitching together a 91-run stand that propelled KKR to 200/6.

Ajinkya Rahane and Angkrish Raghuvanshi also contributed with an 81-run partnership between them, with the latter scoring a half-century.

Then came the KKR bowlers, led by the sensational Vaibhav Arora, who struck twice in the powerplay to rattle SRH’s top order. The rest of KKR’s attack, including Harshit Rana (2/18), Sunil Narine (1/30), and Varun Chakravarthy (3/22), ensured SRH never recovered, bundling them out for just 120 runs in 16.4 overs.

The victory catapulted KKR to the fifth spot in the IPL 2025 points table. They now have four points from as many matches. SRH, on the other hand, dropped to the bottom position after three back-to-back losses.