IPL 2018, CSK vs KKR: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) today's probable playing 11 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

A match that looked all but out of Chennai Super Kings' grasp in the season opener of IPL 2018, was yanked away from Mumbai Indians by the heroic efforts of Dwayne Bravo, and later Kedar Jadhav, helping the Super Kings win their first game in IPL since May 2015.

Buoyed by the opening win, the side will be pitted against the Kolkata Knight Riders, who also won their opening game against the Royal Challengers Bangalore to set the ball rolling.

Here's their predicted XI for the Chennai Super Kings:

Shane Watson: He retired from international cricket in 2016, but two years later, 'Watto' still seems to pack a mean punch, at least in T20 cricket. Opening the batting with makeshift partner Ambati Rayudu, he produced a few solid strokes, but couldn't go big with his start.

His canny medium-pace helped the side stifle Mumbai Indians' batting, with his two wickets being the Rohit Sharma, the big fish and the in-form Suryakumar Yadav.

Murali Vijay: India's Test regular will return to the yellow jersey, having missed the first game due to a rib injury during a net session. In his absence, Ambati Rayudu was bumped up the order, and did get a start, but the 34-year-old Vijay, who has played countless memorable knocks for CSK is the one they'd eventually prefer at the top.

Suresh Raina: The road back to the Indian team has been a personal success story for Raina, who is back to batting where he's scored a major chunk of his IPL runs, in the top-order for CSK. The dynamic left-hander had a forgettable first game, managing just four, but can be trusted to be back in form as the side returns to Chepauk.

Ambati Rayudu: With Kedar Jadhav out of the tournament, Rayudu is most likely to be drafted into the middle-order to beef it up and the position won't be alien to the right-hander, who consistently played there for the Mumbai Indians.

MS Dhoni: Back to leading a side where he gained a massive fan following, one of the biggest attraction for the Super Kings is the return of their captain. The bat, however, will have to do the talking soon, especially after the way he was dismissed to the bowling of rookie spinner Mayank Markande in the opening game.

Ravindra Jadeja: His stocks in limited-overs might have receded as the days have progressed, but Ravindra Jadeja has been one of the crucial reasons for Chennai's success in the IPL this decade. His accurate left-arm spin, coupled with the lusty blows he promises in the end overs, make him a complete package, not to forget his agile fielding and rocket throw.

Dwayne Bravo: Questions were raised about the effectiveness of a jaded Dwayne Bravo this year, but the 'Champion' shut his detractors in some style, smashing a 30-ball 68 that squeezed his team past the finishing line in the season opener. Not to forget his bowling, which helped silence the Mumbai middle-order. A confidence player, trust him to continue churning out his magic as the season progresses.

Deepak Chahar: The bowling all-rounder started ahead of Shardul Thakur in the playing XI, and quickly showed why he got the thumb's up, hitting the perfect areas in a tight opening spell that had Rohit Sharma struggling to make contact with the ball. Inexperienced at the moment, Chahar can really evolve into a star if he is moulded well in the future.

Harbhajan Singh: One of the most experienced IPL players ever, Harbhajan Singh is a vital weapon to have, even at the age of 37. Given the immense experience of bowling in crunch situations, he can be used to telling effect by MS Dhoni in the powerplays.

Mark Wood: An unknown entity in the world of IPL, Wood made his presence felt in his debut game, generating some serious pace and extracting sharp bounce along the way. Although he turned out to be expensive in the end, his presence can provide the X-factor that CSK's bowling attack might need.

Imran Tahir: The South African leg-spinner had a not-so-great start to the 2018 IPL, and was taken out of the attack after two overs only. However, given his expertise in the format, and the bag of variations he carries when he walks out, he is too good a player to be left out.