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

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.

Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir

Chennai Super Kings acquired the services of Mohammad Imran Tahir for Rs.1 crore in the auctions. The leg-spinner has been pretty effective in the shortest format of the game, making crucial breakthroughs for his teams.

Tahir has represented Delhi Daredevils and Rising Pune Supergiants in the previous editions of the IPL. He has played 32 IPL games and has picked up 47 wickets at an average of 21.10 and an economy of 8.31, with best figures of 4/28.

The Lahore-born cricketer has held the top bowling rank in both ODI and T20 formats. He was named the International Cricketer of the Year for South Africa in 2013 and holds the record for the most number of wickets taken by a leg-spinner for the country.

With the impact that leg-spinners are creating in T20s, Tahir is surely a player to watch out for in the upcoming season of the IPL.

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh was bought for Rs. 2 crores by the franchise this year. The right arm off-spin bowler has been one of the best spin bowlers to have played for India. Though he hasn't featured in international games lately, he is a regular in the IPL and has been a very important player for Mumbai.

Singh has represented the Mumbai Indians in the IPL since the inception of the tournament. He has played 136 IPL games and has picked up 127 wickets at an average of 26.54 and an excellent economy of 6.95, with best bowling figures of 5/18. He is known for his tight, economical bowling which is a critical skill in the shortest format of the game. He is also pretty handy with the bat and has a half-century to his name in the tournament, despite batting low down the order.

Owing to his economical bowling and experience, the Jalandhar boy will be expected to create an impact for the Super Kings in the upcoming season of the IPL.

Lungisani Ngidi

Lungisani Ngidi

The young pacer from South Africa has impressed many with his pace and accuracy in the early days of his career thus far. The Durban boy was picked by the Super Kings for Rs. 50 Lakh for the upcoming season of the IPL. Ngidi has been very impressive in his few international appearances so far and promises to have a great career ahead.

This would be Ngidi's debut IPL season and a lot is expected of the young pacer in the tournament. He has picked up six wickets in his three international T20 appearances for South Africa so far.

Ngidi will add to the pace arsenal of the team and is expected to be one of the most valuable players of the tournament.

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina

The Chennai Super Kings retained one of their most valuable players of the tournament, Suresh Raina, for the 2018 season. He is one of India's best T20 batsmen and is a live wire on the field. He is the first ever batsman to score a T20I century when batting at number three or lower. He is also the first Indian player to score an international century in all three formats of the game.

Suresh Raina has represented the Super Kings in all seasons of the IPL since the inception of the tournament, except for the ninth and tenth editions where he captained the Gujarat Lions in the absence of the Super Kings due to their suspension.

Raina has played 161 IPL games and has scored 4540 runs at an average of 34.13 and a strike rate of 139.09. He has a century and 31 half-centuries to his name, with a high score of 100 not out. He has hit 173 sixes and 402 boundaries in the tournament. He has also picked up 25 wickets in the IPL. Raina is the leading run-scorer in IPL history and has hit the second most number of sixes in the tournament. He also holds the record for the most number of IPL appearances by a player.

The left-hander is expected to regain his confidence and form while playing in his favourite colours and make a major impact in IPL 2018.