'Kuch bolunga toh bawal ho jayega': Ajinkya Rahane reignites Eden Gardens pitch controversy after KKR's loss to LSG

NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane expressed dissatisfaction with the pitch at Eden Gardens, noting its lack of assistance for spinners following the team's home defeat.
Rahane, while cautious in his remarks, hinted at the potential controversy surrounding discussions of 'home advantage.'
The match against Lucknow Super Giants, which ended in a narrow four-run defeat for KKR, marked their second loss in three home games this season.

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Rahane highlighted the ineffective spin bowling conditions, contrasting with expectations for the match.
"Firstly, there was no help for the spinners, let me clear that," Rahane said in the post-match press conference. "They used the boundary really well, you know, bowling to the longer end, I mean longer boundary, they did that really well, our bowlers tried as well, but again, (Nicholas) Pooran and Mitchell Marsh batted really well in between, they took their chances which came off really well for them."

"It was a lovely wicket, we all saw that, scoring almost 500 runs on this track, hard for the bowlers, but again, they used the conditions and used the boundary really well."
The game saw a high-scoring affair with LSG setting a formidable total of 238/3, and KKR falling short at 234/7.
Rahane's strategy to bowl first did not yield the desired outcome as the opposition batters, notably Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh, capitalized on the conditions effectively.
KKR's spin duo, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy, struggled, failing to secure any wickets and conceding runs at a rate of over nine per over.

This performance led to questions about the relevance of 'home advantage' in the IPL, a topic Rahane approached with caution to avoid controversy.
"See, there's been enough talk about the wicket. Aap logon ne bahut usko yeh kar diya hai. Toh agar main abhi kuch bolunga na, toh bawal ho jayega. (You people have already hyped it up a lot. So if I say anything now, it will create a big controversy)," Rahane added.
"Jo hamare curator hai, unko bahut publicity mila. I think he's happy with that publicity. Home advantage ke baare mein aapko jo likhna hai, aap likh sakto, jo laga. (Our curator has got a lot of publicity. I think he's happy with that publicity. You can write whatever you feel like about the home advantage). If I have any concern, I would probably convey it to the IPL rather than speaking about it here."
Regarding his personal performance and aspirations for an India comeback, Rahane said, "I'm really enjoying my cricket at the moment, firstly playing for KKR and playing at the Eden. For me, it's all about staying in the moment, enjoying my cricket, enjoying my batting, and that's it. I don't want to think far too ahead."