IPL 2018: 5 Indian players for whom this IPL season will be important

Indian Premier League (IPL), is all set to begin from 7 April with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) playing the opening match at Wankhede stadium.

This year's season will be special for many reasons as Chennai and Rajasthan are coming back after two years of suspension. In addition to this, MS Dhoni will be captaining the CSK side yet again, which is the most exciting part of this season.

IPL has acted as a springboard for not only youngsters but also for senior players who would look to perform and make a comeback into the national side.

With 2019 World Cup just one year away, a lot of players will try to cement their place in the Indian squad with their performance in the IPL. Let us find out these players for whom this IPL season will be a make or break situation.

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#5 Suresh Raina

Raina has looked in sublime touch and would like to continue the same in IPL 2018

This season of IPL will be a big platform for Suresh Raina, who will be eyeing a spot for the World Cup 2019. In recent times, India's middle order has looked fragile and Raina can be the perfect player considering his immense experience.

He looked in great form in the T20 series against South Africa and was Man of the Match in the third T20I match. In Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he scored 314 runs in 9 matches with one century and two fifties.

Now that Raina is back in CSK colours, this will be his perfect opportunity to express himself and score heavily in this season.

#4 KL Rahul

KL Rahul has been in-and-out of the ODI team

The rise of KL Rahul in the Indian team was quite promising and he had become a regular member of the team in all three formats. He was consistent in Tests, scoring fifties consistently but the inability to score big hundreds cost him his place.

Rahul was also given the opportunity to bat at No. 4 but he failed to score runs consistently. As a result of this inconsistent performances, he was eventually dropped from the ODI team.

In this year's IPL, Rahul will be representing Kings XI Punjab and was bought by the team for a whopping ₹11 crore. He is expected to open the innings and would look to score big runs, thereby making a strong case for the ODI team.

#3 Yuvraj Singh

Yuvraj has failed to score in the domestic circuit

Yuvraj Singh will look this IPL season as the golden opportunity to get back into the national team. He has struggled in the Ranji Trophy and did not have a great time in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy recording a strike rate of less than 100 throughout the tournament.

The big positive for Yuvraj is that he has recently cleared the Yo-Yo test and is eligible for selection to India's squad. He will be playing for Kings XI Punjab and would like to make every opportunity count.

With Sehwag as a head coach of the team, this will be a big boost for Yuvraj who has been struggling with form.

#2 Ravindra Jadeja

Jadeja has been sidelined from the limited overs squad

In the past, Ravindra Jadeja was the go-to man for MS Dhoni in ODIs or Tests. He was one of the finest all-rounders in the limited overs cricket but because of his mediocre outing in the Champions Trophy 2017, he lost his place in the ODI side.

Jadeja is still the best fielder and also one of the fittest players around the world. In the past, he has been criticized for bowling flatter deliveries and not bowling attacking lines. Also, the inability to pick wickets in the middle overs went against him.

Considering Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal's top form, Jadeja would need to perform really well in IPL to get back in the ODI team.

#1 Ravichandran Ashwin

Ashwin has a great variety in his bowling and would like to make most of it in the forthcoming season

Ravichandran Ashwin has been left out of the ODI team owing to his poor performance in the Champions Trophy 2017.

In the past, Ashwin has struggled in ODIs, bowling defensive lines and containing the batsmen with dot balls. India has lost matches due to the lack of wickets in the middle overs.

Now with the extra responsibility of captaining Kings XI Punjab, Ashwin has a lot to prove and would look to take heaps of wickets for the team. With his immense experience and good performances in the IPL, he can be a strong contender for the World Cup 2019.