The management of Kolkata Knight Riders has issued a statement in response to reports suggesting that fans wearing Lucknow Super Giants’ exclusive Mohun Bagan jerseys were denied entry to Eden Gardens on May 20.
The Kolkata franchise refuted these reports as ‘misleading’ and emphasized their commitment to treating everyone with respect. They also expressed gratitude for having one of the largest fanbases in the country.
On the contrary, Mohun Bagan’s general secretary, Debashish Dutta had previously indirectly criticized KKR, alleging that fans wearing green and maroon jerseys were prohibited from entering the stadium.
In an official statement released by the franchise on its official social media handle, KKR said:
“There are misleading reports that are floating around that KKR management had stopped some fans from entering Eden Gardens during the KKR vs LSG IPL game on May 20. For the record, KKR management has nothing to do with crowd management at the stadium.
We were told that some ambush marketing was attempted by some vested interests, which as per IPL league policy was promptly stopped by the IPL league Anti-Ambush Marketing team.”
“KKR is grateful for the great relationship with all its fans in Kolkata and for making every game at Eden Gardens full house. It has among the largest fan bases of any franchise and would never disrespect anyone.”
In the match, Lucknow Super Giants emerged victorious and secured their spot in the IPL 2023 playoffs by defeating the Knight Riders by one run. Nicholas Pooran delivered an outstanding performance with the bat, scoring an impressive 58 runs from just 30 balls.
Ravi Bishnoi and Yash Thakur also excelled with the ball, claiming a couple of wickets each. In a thrilling finish, Thakur successfully defended 20 runs and narrowly escaped defeat despite Rinku Singh’s destructive innings of 67 not out from 33 balls.
This victory served as a befitting tribute to the illustrious 132-year-old legacy of their sister franchise, Mohun Bagan, which is one of India’s oldest and most prominent football clubs.
The upcoming challenge for LSG awaits as they are scheduled to face the five-time champions, Mumbai Indians, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday.
