Former Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Shane Watson said the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad will be handful against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Friday.

Ahmad made an impressive debut for CSK, returning with impressive figures of 4-18 in his quota of four overs against Mumbai Indians at the Chepauk. Furthermore, Ashwin and Jadeja have all the experience of bowling at the Chepauk and getting the best out of the spin-friendly conditions.

On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have managed a solitary win at Chepauk in nine matches since the inception of the IPL in 2008. 

“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,” Watson said on JioHotstar.

Watson, who also played for RCB in the IPL, said the visitors are going to have their work cut out in Chennai against a quality spin attack.

“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,” he said.

Watson added CSK would have gained more confidence after Noor Ahmad’s impressive show in the opening game against MI.

“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,” the 2008 and 2018 IPL winner said.

There is no doubt that RCB will need to come up with a collective batting performance against CSK on Friday.