In an interesting turn of events, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bowling coach Bharat Arun was reportedly stopped from using a particular practice pitch at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, the eve of their match against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
The incident occurred as KKR prepared for their second-last home game of the season on Monday, April 29th. According to reports by ABP, Arun took Indian pacer Harshit Rana to train on one of the pitches prepared specifically for DC’s practice session, as the DC players were yet to arrive. Notably, this, wasn’t an uncommon practice for KKR, having done so before other matches without any objections.
However, on this occasion, Sujan Mukherjee, the pitch curator of Eden Gardens, intervened. He quickly objected to KKR’s use of the pitch, asking them to vacate it. Notably, similar situations have arisen during previous matches held at the stadium.
“As Arun entered the net, Sujan Mukherjee, Eden’s pitch preparer, rushed towards him. He ordered Harshit to leave the net. Arun meant that the Delhi cricketers would leave once they entered. But Sujan did not want to agree. As a result, Arun had to move. The Knights didn’t seem to notice that there was one man in the opposing team called Sourav Ganguly.” a report by Anand Bazar.
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KKR and DC set for an exciting battle
Talking about the awaited encounter, both Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Capitals (DC) are tied at 10 points each. An added layer of intrigue comes with Shreyas Iyer, the former DC captain, facing his old team. Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly, the Prince of Kolkata, is homecoming for DC’s Director of Cricket.
KKR come into the match in a bit of a slump, having lost three out of their last five encounters. However, they still hold the number two spot on the points table. Their batting, with the likes of Phil Salt and Sunil Narine, has been a bright spot, but their bowling has been inconsistent, especially at home.
DC, on the other hand, are on a roll, having won four out of their last five games. Their batting trio of Jake Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, and Rishabh Pant have been firing on all cylinders. Their bowling attack has also been impressive, working as a unison.
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