IPL 2021: We Know Playing Spin Was An Area Of Concern And At Times We Found It Tough, RCB Coach Simon Katich Wary Of Chennai Matches

Ahead of the IPL 2021, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Simon Katich admitted that the team think-tank is wary of RCB’s matches in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, given their record and difficulty in playing spin.

Talking about RCB’s Chennai leg, Simon Katich wants the team to get acclimatized to the conditions quickly. RCB will play their first three matches of IPL 2021 in Chennai, starting with the tournament opener on April 9 against Mumbai Indians (MI), who have done well on the turning surface at Chepauk.

We Are Yet To See The Surface, But In Chennai, It Has Historically Been A Turner: Simon Katich

The surface at Chepauk has traditionally being spin-friendly as RCB would remember the first match of the IPL 2019 when they were bowled out for just 70 runs against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Even last season RCB struggled as the wickets in UAE got slower and Simon Katich is wary of the rank turners that could be on offer at the Chepauk.

“We know it (playing spin) was an area of concern last year, and at times we found it tough, particularly through the middle phase of our batting innings. We are yet to see the surface, but in Chennai, it has historically been a turner. That said, there have been times when it has been high scoring, and the dew can be a factor as well. We will have to weigh all of that once we get a couple of nights of training,” Katich said in an interaction with The Times of India.

RCB had struggled not only against spin but also failed to make runs at a good rate in middle overs when spin is usually employed. They were the only team to score at less than seven (6.93) in the middle overs in IPL 2020, hitting just 73 boundaries during this period in their last campaign.

We Have A Role For Maxwell Which Will Enable Him To Have Success: Simon Katich

However, Katich feels that RCB has plugged that problem by signing Australia’s big-hitting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell who will be slotted in the middle order as a cushion for AB de Villiers and for accelerating the rate of scoring against spin in middle overs.

“We have a role for Maxwell which will enable him to have success. We needed a dynamic batsman in the middle phase of the innings, and he provides that,” Katich said.

The IPL 2021 begins on April 9 with RCB facing off against Mi in Chennai.

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