New Delhi: Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson feels that facing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk will be a huge challenge for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
The Rajat Patidar-led side will face five-time champions on Friday at MA Chidambaram Stadium in their second game of the IPL 2025 season. RCB had a brilliant start as they registered an emphatic seven-wicket win over reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the season opener at Eden Gardens.
On the other hand, CSK outclassed the Mumbai Indians by four wickets in their first match of the season. For Chennai, spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad proved crucial in restricting MI to 155 as the latter clinched a four-wicket haul on a spin-assisted Chepauk surface.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge for RCB to go to Chepauk, especially given the quality of bowlers CSK have at their disposal. Just look at the three spinners who bowled brilliantly in their opening game against MI—Ashwin, Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad. They are going to be a real handful on that surface. Seeing Noor Ahmad make such an impact in his first game for CSK will only boost the team’s confidence, knowing they have another wicket-taking option,” Watson said on JioHotstar.
The former CSK player feels that RCB will need to tweak their combination to overpower CSK’s spin dominance at their home venue.
“RCB will likely need to adjust their team composition to counter CSK’s strengths. But make no mistake – Chepauk is a fortress. CSK’s entire setup is built around excelling in Chennai, and it will be very difficult for RCB to break through. Someone from their side will need to produce something truly special to pull off a win,” Watson said.
RCB have Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma as frontline spinners with Liam Livingstone chipping in with his part-time spin. However, they lack any star spinner with international stature, which would turn out to be a difference against a spin-heavy team like CSK.
–IANS