5 Chennai Super Kings players to watch out for in IPL 2018
The eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League is all set to kick off from next month. The upcoming season of the Indian T20 League promises to be even more exciting and competitive than the previous seasons. Two teams that have previously been champions will be making a comeback this season after facing a two-year suspension. The eight teams will play each other twice and the four teams finishing on top of the league table will compete for the title.
One of the eight teams competing in the tournament is Chennai Super Kings, which also happens to be one of the two teams making a comeback this season after the suspension. The side with the 'Yellow Jersey' has been one of the top teams in the tournament, winning the title twice and finishing second on four occasions. The team, led by former Indian captain MS Dhoni, is known for it's fair and spirited brand of cricket and has a huge fan following.
The Super Kings retained MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja ahead of the auctions and used the Right to Match option to retain Faf du Plessis and Dwane Bravo.
The focus on experience and seniority was evident during the auctions, as the franchise acquired the services of Shane Watson, Harbhajan Singh, and Imran Tahir.
Here are 5 players who are expected to create an impact for the men in yellow in the upcoming season of the IPL:
Shane Watson
Chennai Super Kings acquired the services of veteran Australian all-rounder Shane Watson for Rs. 4 crores in the auction held in January. The 36-year-old, who has retired from international cricket, is still actively playing domestic T20 leagues and has been impressive in the recent edition of the Big Bash League and the ongoing Pakistan Premier League.
Watson is the only player to score a century and take four wickets in an innings in all forms of cricket, the first Australian to score an international century in all three formats of the game, and the first player to win the 'Australian Player of the Year' award in all three formats.
The Queenslander has won the 'Player of the Series' award in the 2008 and 2013 editions of the IPL. He has played 102 IPL games and has scored 2622 runs at an average of 31.21 and a strike rate of 138.65. He has two centuries to his name and has smashed 122 sixes in the tournament. He has also picked up 86 wickets at an average of 28.26 and an economy of 7.83 in the IPL.
The right-handed all-rounder has an outstanding T20 record and is probably one of the best T20 all-rounders in the game.