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.

Suresh Raina (Chennai Super Kings)

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.