Deccan Chargers – Indian Premier League 5 – Team Assessment
For a Deccan Chargers supporter, the team’s campaign will always be marked with a feeling of frustration, agony, and most importantly - what could had been if the side managed to win some of the last-ball encounters early on. As it stood, the franchise languished at the bottom until their final weekend heroics against Royal Challengers Bangalore, propelling them to edge past Pune Warriors into 8th in the IPL standing.
They have been the least controversial franchise since their inception, and another swift routine was adhered before the final auction – with the only main buy coming in the shape of Indian wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel.
Top Players
Their major worry was always going to be the dependency on overseas recruits, along with little unknown domestic players. Apart from Parthiv and Amit Mishra, few knew about their remaining local performers and that proved decisive to a certain degree.
Shikhar Dhawan stood out as another glowing prospect among the uncapped Indian players, carrying the major batting workload. The left-hander led his side from the front and currently is the second highest run-getter in the IPL – 569 runs at 40.64, with a reasonable strike rate of 129.61.
He however, found little support in the early phase of the competition, with the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Patel failing to live up to their bill. A run of five straight defeats left them chasing the pecking order and while they gathered momentum later on, their campaign was all but over.
Cameron White managed to find some valuable form, scoring five half -centuries and leading some matches in the absence of Sangakkara, who had to drop himself to give the team a right balance. JP Duminy also chipped in notably, with the most crucial knock coming in the final game against Challengers, where he made 74.
The season also witnessed Dale Steyn bowling some sensational, game changing spells, reinstating his stature as the fastest bowler in world cricket today. Steyn rallied on despite his team faltering in giving him the deserve support. He was a true inspiration for all young Indian bowlers, clearly demonstrating that IPL is not about scoring runs.
He had a few off-outings, including one against the Royal Challengers, where he was taken apart by compatriot AB de Villiers. With Ishant Sharma out for the whole season, it was a difficult scenario for the Chargers but they managed to find an emerging medium-pacer in Ashish Reddy, who claimed 11 wickets.
Disappointment and Joy
While the obvious low point will be the side’s abysmal start, from which they never really recovered, they should feel at ease after ousted Rajasthan Royals and Challengers from the play-off contentions.
Few gave them a chance to topple the two blooming franchises this term but with nothing to lose, Chargers produced two totally uncharacteristic performances from their course this season. Steyn was at the heart of their two wins, returning with magical combined spells of 8-0-24-5.
Final Verdict
The Chargers will need to splash out cash in order to recruit some renowned domestic players, who have the luxury of playing for the national team. Apart from that, a partner for Steyn will be welcomed, along with a solid spin option. Their fielding needs to improve drastically, allowing them more chances to win games.
With limited resources, Sangakkara was pleased with his side’s performance although admitting that they need to field better, while reserving praise for world’s premier fast bowler.
"I think we played really good cricket, but unfortunately the results did not go our way. We batted really well throughout the tournament. We need to improve our fielding because it is most important in this format of the game," he said.
"I think he (Steyn) has bowled a few good spells like this. He gave other bowlers the confidence. He helps other bowlers also and keeps them calm. That's why he is the best bowler in the world."
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