1. Gregory Nelson
“He improved massively in the last 3-4 months of last season, and he has started off fantastic for us this year,” said Chennai coach John Gregory, while discussing Raphael Augusto after the 1-0 loss to Bengaluru. “We have to make sure we don't rely on him too much.” The Brazil midfielder is key to Chennai’s title defence this season, but one player who’ll likely be as vital as him is Gregory Nelson. The 30-year-old Dutch winger had a rather slow start to his season in 2017-18 but soon became a key player, even creating five goals in three playoff fixtures against Goa and Bengaluru. He, who’s relatively young for a foreign talent, will prove a solid contender for the Hero of the League award this season.