India’s cricket governing body Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) has now officially rescheduled Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants match at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens from April 6 to April 8, 2025. The match will now be played on Tuesday at 3:30 PM IST.
The decision was made following a request from Kolkata Police to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) regarding the need for additional security and deployment of personnel throughout the city for Ram Navami festivals.
In an official statement, BCCI confirmed:
“The rest of the schedule remains unchanged. For clarity, Sunday, April 6, will now be a single-header match day, with Sunrisers Hyderabad hosting Gujarat Titans at 7:30 PM (Match No. 20) as originally scheduled.”
Eden Gardens Pitch Controversy: No Home Advantage for KKR?
In spite of the timing alteration, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) has an even greater challenge at home. Eden Gardens pitch curator Sujan Mukherjee declined to make any pitch condition change for the bowling prowess of KKR despite his invitation by team captain Ajinkya Rahane.
Mukherjee has flatly stated that the pitch will not be altered as long as he is in charge, and this has riled the KKR camp. This has led cricket pundits, such as former New Zealand bowler Simon Doull, to comment that KKR might have to think about playing their games elsewhere if their conditions are not met.
History of KKR’s Pitch Dispute
This is the second time that Kolkata Knight Riders have had an issue with the Eden Gardens pitch curator. Earlier, in IPL 2023, then-skipper Nitish Rana too had also complained about the pitch conditions and had a similar altercation.
Since KKR have already faced two matches in their IPL 2025 campaign, this brewing pitch controversy can impact their home form. The side will have to overcome these issues and adapt to the conditions in order to continue their winning streak in the tournament.
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