The much-awaited season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is about to start in a matter of hours and the fact that makes the occasion even more special is the tournament opener. The first game of the IPL 2018 is scheduled to take place between the biggest rivals in the history of the tournament, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. While CSK will be making a comeback in IPL after facing a two-year ban, MI has the responsibility of defending its crown. Ahead of this high expectations match, let’s have a look at the x-factors of the match.

1. DJ Bravo (CSK)

In the history of IPL, Dwayne Bravo has been one of the most successful bowlers for CSK as he has taken more than 20 wickets in two IPL seasons and on both the occasions he won the purple cap as well. Bravo’s decisive slower ball and ability to bowl at 140+ makes him a lethal bowler to face in the death overs. Apart from his bowling, he is proven pinch hitter along with a gun fielder and in a small ground like Wankhede, his batting abilities will surely come handy for the Chennai franchise in the tournament opener.