IPL 2018: Six players to watch out for in the season opener

The highly-anticipated 11th edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to kick-off on April 7 at the Wankhede Stadium, where the defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on the two-time winners Chennai Super Kings. The Chennai Super Kings are returning to the IPL after a two-year hiatus due to the alleged involvement of their owners in a spot-fixing scandal.

The fans of the yellow army are waiting to witness their favourite heroes after a two-year gap. The pressure and the expectations will be high when these two successful teams lock horns on Saturday. Let us now look at five players who might make the difference in this cracking opening fixture.

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Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)

Suresh Raina

When it comes to the IPL, he is the undisputed king. Suresh Raina would relish the prospect of returning to the Wankhede Stadium, where he smashed 87(25) against the Kings XI Punjab in 2014.

Raina, who has never missed an IPL match in his entire career, is a vital cog in the Chennai Super Kings' line-up. He is the leading run-scorer in this unparalleled rivalry. In 24 matches against the Mumbai Indians, Raina has scored 620 runs, with his highest score being 83* in 2010 at the Brabourne Stadium. He has been the Man of the Match on three occasions as well.

The Uttar Pradesh batsman has been in fine form recently and will be looking to maintain his supremacy in the IPL opener.

Evin Lewis (Mumbai Indians)

Evin Lewis

The hard-hitting Trinidadian was one of the most sought-after players during the auctions in January. The southpaw is an experienced T20 campaigner, having played in the Caribbean Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League.

Lewis, who is one of the few debutants to watch out for in this edition of the IPL, became only the third batsman in history to score two centuries in T20 internationals. Lewis has been a consistent performer in the Caribbean Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League, where he scored 101*(65) for the Barisal Burners in 2015.

An interesting fact is that in the 2013 Champions League, he scored 62 (46) for the Trinidad and Tobago side against the Mumbai Indians in the semi-finals. Since the Mumbai Indians have very few opening options, Lewis must undertake the responsibility of starting off the innings on a brisk note. Skipper Rohit would be delighted if their new recruit can set a firm foundation at the top of the innings. Watch out for this big-hitter in the season opener.

Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings)

Dwayne Bravo

The Caribbean all-rounder’s performances will be vital to Chennai Super Kings' success in the opening fixture. The 2013 and 2015 Purple Cap-winner is the kind of player MS Dhoni will be banking upon this season as well. His four-over spell and useful contributions down the order will be crucial for the Men in Yellow.

Bravo is the highest wicket-taker in the matches between these two top sides with 30 wickets, with his best figures against Mumbai being 4/42 which he picked up in the 2013 finals at Kolkata. In the process, he became the first Chennai bowler to claim four wickets in a match against Mumbai.

His slower deliveries and cutters make him an ideal death bowler in T20s. Bravo, who always loves wearing the yellow jersey, will undoubtedly be the one to watch out for when he takes the field against the defending champions and his former franchise - Mumbai Indians.

Krunal Pandya (Mumbai Indians)

Krunal Pandya

The Player of the Match in last year’s final, Krunal Pandya will be looking to extend that dream run into this season as well. Krunal became the costliest uncapped player in the IPL when the Mumbai Indians retained him using their Right to Match card for INR 8.8 crore. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler’s four-over spell might very well make the difference in restricting the opposition to a modest score.

Pandya, who has never played against the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, scored a crucial 47 (38) against the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant in last year's final at Hyderabad. This enabled the Mumbai Indians to put up a fairly decent total on the board which they defended very well.

With nearly 500 runs in 25 IPL matches over two seasons, Krunal can also contribute with the bat down the order for Mumbai. With very few spin-bowling options in their ranks, Mumbai will bank on the Ahmedabad-born all-rounder in the season-opener.

Harbhajan Singh (Chennai Super Kings)

Harbhajan Singh

The Turbanator will be playing against his former franchise, whom he represented for ten seasons. Harbhajan, who knows the Wankhede conditions well, will be an automatic choice. He is the third highest wicket-taker in Mumbai-Chennai encounters with 24 wickets to his name. His best performance was way back in the 2011 IPL when he took 5/18 against Chennai at the Wankhede Stadium, leading Mumbai to an eight-run win.

Though the Super Kings have plenty of spin options, Bhajji’s experience will make a huge difference. Playing Harbhajan instead of Imran Tahir will also provide Chennai an opportunity to strengthen their pace attack with their new overseas recruits.

Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)

Jasprit Bumrah

Bumrah is presumably India’s best death bowler currently and is one of the top T20 bowlers in the world. Bumrah was one of three players to have been retained by Mumbai ahead of the 2018 IPL auction.

Bumrah's best ever IPL performance came last year when he took 3/7 against the Kolkata Knight Riders in the second Qualifier, thereby ensuring Mumbai's berth in the final.

Bumrah can initiate proceedings with the new ball and also bowl some toe-crushers at the death. So, watch out for this young man in his favourite hunting crowd, the Wankhede stadium amidst the chants of ‘Boom boom Bumrah’.