Eden Gardens is one of India’s most iconic cricket grounds, and the stadium has produced some fascinating encounters over the years. For the last 7-years, former first-class player Sujan Mukherjee has been in charge of the surface at the stadium as a pitch curator.
In Episode 4 of Dream Big Stories, a project by SK Brand Studio powered by Dream11, Mukherjee started on how he landed the “dream job” and what it means to him. He disclosed:
“I was a cricketer before. I have played for Bengal. Because of cricket, I got a job with the Customs office. But I wanted to surround my life with cricket. It is my dream always to be a part of the game. I thought about moving to cricket administration, and so I did. However, I wanted to be closer to the ground.”
Former Indian player and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jagmohan Dalmiya gave Mukherjee his “first opportunity” at the Kalyani University Campus at the district level in West Bengal. He recalled:
“I went there and started curating the pitch and the ground and successfully completed the task. Since then, my career as a pitch curator began.”
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“Sourav Ganguly had invited me to supervise at the Eden Gardens” – Sujan Mukherjee’s statement.
Mukherjee said that in 2015, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly asked him to take responsibility for the pitch at Eden Gardens. He stated:
“In 2015, a match between India and South Africa was abandoned due to rain. At that time, Sourav Ganguly had invited me to supervise at the Eden Gardens, and I was very surprised as it is a big and historical ground and one of the best grounds in the world.”
Accepting that he was under pressure, Mukherjee said that since getting the hang of the role, he had also achieved a few awards. He said:
“In these seven years, I got three best ground awards from the board, including ‘Best Ground in IPL’ and ‘Overall Best Ground in India’.”
Mukherjee said that soil and grass covering matter a great deal, describing what goes into getting ready a good pitch. He elaborated:
To prepare a good pitch, it is vital to have good soil, good grass cover and regular supervision. Be it an international or domestic match, it takes 2-3 months to prepare a pitch.”
Concluding his thoughts on being the pitch in the responsibility of one of India’s best stadiums, Mukherjee signed off by asserting:
“As a curator, it will always be my attempt to prepare a top-class pitch on which spectacular cricket will be played for entertainment of fans.”
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