IPL 2025: Harsha Bhogle Clarifies Absence From KKR vs GT Match Commentary Amidst CAB’s Request For His Removal

Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle has clarified his absence from the commentary panel for the IPL 2025 clash between Kolkata Knight Riders and Gujarat Titans at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday (April 21).

Bhogle rejected speculation that he was kept away from the game due to a complaint filed by the Cricket Association of Bengal, insisting that he was only empanelled for two games in Kolkata, which are over.

Harsha Bhogle dismisses specualtion surrounding his abscene from KKR vs GT commentary panel

Bhogle took to social media to explain his absence from the panel for the KKR vs GT match. His statement also comes a day after the CAB's letter to the BCCI, sent about 10 days ago by its secretary Naresh Ojha, was revealed in media reports.

In the letter, the body asked for the removal of Bhogle and New Zealand's Simon Doull from the commentary panel for matches in Kolkata after they stated that the Eden Gardens pitch was not helping the local franchise Kolkata Knight Riders.

"There are some inappropriate conclusions being drawn about why I wasn't at yesterday's game in Kolkata. Quite simply, it wasn't on the list of matches I was down to do!" Bhogle wrote on 'X', formerly Twitter.

"Asking me would have resolved the issue. Rosters are done before the tournament starts. I was rostered for two games in Kolkata. I was there for the first and an illness in the family prevented me from being at the 2nd," he added without specifying the games.

KKR suffered their third loss of the ongoing IPL 2025 season at the Eden Gardens on Monday, going down by 39 runs against table-toppers GT. Earlier, KKR lost home games against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).

Both KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane and head coach Chandrakant Pandit have been vocal about their demands for a more spin friendly track at the venue and expressed their frustration at not being given a track that suits their attack featuring Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Moeen Ali.

After the CAB threw its weight behind curator Sujan Mukherjee, Doull had suggested that KKR should look for a new base given that Mukherjee was not fulfilling the team's requirements. Bhogle had also stated that KKR deserved to have the home advantage.