How the Men in Yellow may lineup in the tournament opener

We are less than 60 hours from the start of the Indian Premier League 2018. The inaugural match of the season will be played between the arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Saturday. Rohit Sharma will be leading the Mumbai Indians side while MS Dhoni is back for Chennai Super Kings.

Both teams have bought some exciting players in the auction. Mumbai Indians added Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan, Pat Cummins, Mustafizur Rahman, and Ben Cutting to their squad. Chennai Super Kings bought Shane Watson, Mark Wood, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir, and Kedar Jadhav. Mitchell Santner is injured and a replacement is yet to be announced. Faf du Plessis could most likely miss the first few games because of a finger injury.

Without much ado, let’s take a look at the probable playing XI of Chennai Super Kings.

#1 Openers

Murali Vijay is back with CSK

Murali Vijay is back with the Chennai Super Kings. He was a part of the successful CSK squad that lifted 2 titles but was let go in 2014. The Tamil Nadu opener has scored 2511 runs in 100 IPL games so far. Murali Vijay is an experienced T20 opener and has played a lot of cricket in Wankhede. With Faf most likely out for at least first few games, he is the front-runner to open the batting for Chennai Super Kings. Wankhede track will offer pace for the batsmen and suit Vijay’s stroke play.

Shane Watson is one of the most experienced and successful T20 all-rounders in the world. The 36-year-old Aussie all-rounder has played 102 games in IPL so far, a majority of them opening the innings. He has scored 2622 runs in IPL at an average of 31.21 and a strike rate of 139. He could partner Vijay at the top and his big hitting abilities will be more than useful in the power play, against the likes of Bumrah and Cummins.

#2 Middle order

Raina is the highest run-getter in IPL history

Suresh Raina is arguably the most successful batsman in IPL history. CSK retained him in the IPL pre-auction. Raina has played 161 games so far in IPL and has scored 4540 runs, most by any player in the history of the game. At an average of 34 and a strike rate of 139, Raina is one of the devastating players in T20 Cricket. In the past, he was exceptional for CSK at no.3 and will retain his spot against Mumbai Indian on Saturday.

MS Dhoni is back. He will lead the CSK team and according to their coach Stephen Fleming, he is set for a promotion in the batting order. MS Dhoni was always a floater in the CSK lineup and comes in to bat based on the situation of the game. However, things could change this season. Dhoni at no.4 is an exciting option for CSK. He will get enough time to settle and then unleash in the final overs. Wankhede is too small when he gets going.

Kedar Jadhav is Chennai’s costliest buys in the IPL 2018 auction. Though he is not a permanent fixture in the Indian limited overs set up, he has played some cracking innings for India in ODI’s. He had a decent IPL 2017 but was out of form for India. On his day, Jadhav can destroy any bowling attack and will play a key role for CSK in the middle order. His six hitting abilities will definitely help CSK in the middle overs. His off-spin bowling could prove handy against the Mumbai Indians left-handed batsmen.

#3 All-rounders

Bravo could be vital to Chennai's success in IPL 2018

Dwayne Bravo is a fan favourite at CSK. Bravo has the experience of 375 T20 games. He is a key player for the team and is expected to take the all-rounder's slot. He has scored 1238 runs in IPL and has picked up 122 wickets. He was the Purple Cap winner on a couple of occasions. He will most likely take the no.6 slot in the batting lineup. Expect few cameos from the West Indian superstar. He will handle the responsibility of bowling in the death overs. His primary role would be to keep Pollard and Pandya brothers quiet when he comes on to bowl late in the innings.

Ravindra Jadeja is an integral part of the CSK set up. His all-around capabilities have proved useful in the past. Jadeja has played 138 IPL games in his career. The 29-year-old has scored 1732 runs and picked up 82 wickets. He will occupy the second all-rounder slot in the Chennai Super Kings line up. Dhoni would want his left-arm spinner to keep the Mumbai Indians middle order quiet. His fielding adds a lot of value to the CSK team.

#4 Bowlers

Bhajji could add experience to CSK's bowling attack

Harbhajan Singh needs no introduction. CSK let Ravichandran Ashwin go and bought Bhajji as his replacement. Bhajji has played 136 games so far and picked up 127 wickets. Expect Bhajji to open the bowling as Mumbai Indians’ most likely openers are left-handed batsmen. His experience could prove useful for MS Dhoni.

Shardul Thakur is the only recognized Indian medium pacer in the Chennai Super Kings squad. He will more or less walk into the CSK playing 11 for the game against Mumbai Indians, given his performances in IPL 2017 and the recently concluded Nidahas T20 trophy. He could clock speeds of 140 km/h and will most likely share the new ball.

Mark Wood is one of the fastest bowlers in England. His career was hampered by frequent injuries and he struggled to play consistently for his national team. However, he did well for England in the recent ODI series against Australia and New Zealand. He could face stiff competition from Lungi Ngidi but his experience could put him ahead of the South African pacer.

Imran Tahir is a genuine wicket taker and will take the fourth foreigner slot on the team. Tahir picked up 18 wickets for RPS in 12 games last season at an economy of 7.85. Dhoni would love to add Tahir’s variations to his repertoire. He could prove effective against the likes of big-hitting Mumbai Indians middle order.