Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson believes that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) upcoming clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be a huge challenge for the Rajat Patidar-led side, considering the conditions of the Chepauk pitch. After registering a comfortable win against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their opener clash, RCB will now face CSK for their second match, which is scheduled to take place on March 28 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Watson, who featured for CSK in IPL 2019,20/21 said that the RCB will have to tweak their team composition to suit the conditions of the Chepauk pitch.
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"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. RCB will likely need to adjust their team composition to counter CSK's strengths. But make no mistake -- Chepauk is a fortress," said Watson, a JioStar expert.
Watson reckoned that the spinners in CSK play a huge role behind their domination in Chennai. He lauds CSK spin trio Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad and Ravindra Jadeja for their performance in the team's tournament opener against Mumbai Indians.
"CSK's entire setup is built around excelling in Chennai. 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," he added.
CSK have also won their tournament's opener clash against MI. Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side defeated the visitors by four wickets at the same venue to register their first win of the season. CSK and RCB last faced each other in the do-or-die clash of the IPL 2024 where the Bengaluru based franchise defeated five time champions CSK to seal their berth for the playoffs.