Recharging the Chargers

Having suffered a humiliating defeat in their first game at home to CSK, Deccan Chargers have not had a good start to the fifth edition of the IPL, if there be a need to state the obvious, and there are few reasons for their fans to expect better in the coming weeks. The loyal Hyderabad fan may dismiss me as a pessimist, but the problem remains. It was painful to watch (yes, I am a DC supporter as well) the team’s performance against Dhoni’s men. But for an unbiased observer, it was no worse than expected.

Even before the season began, it was evident that this was to be a tough campaign for the Hyderabad team. The re-shuffling before the fourth edition had taken out the firepower from the ranks of the chargers. The team, in the first three editions, had boasted of names that could instill fear and awe in bowlers. Gilchrist, Symonds, Gibbs and Rohit Sharma left the Chargers and the team couldn’t effectively replace them. Not surprisingly, the Chargers found themselves in the bottom half of the points table, finishing the previous edition in the seventh position, much to the disappointment and frustration of the fans.

The player auction before IPL 2012 added fuel to fire. What should have been an opportunity to re-build the squad roster, ended up depleting the team further. The team lost key players in Kevin Pietersen and Pragyan Ojha in transfers to other teams while the team management was almost a spectator to the auction, rarely getting involved in a serious bid for anyone. Just when one would have thought that matters couldn’t get any worse for DC, Ishant Sharma’s injury deprived the already depleted squad of another important player. The contribution of uncapped youngsters for the team was perhaps never this significant.

Yet, all may not be lost. The arrival of Kumar Sangakkara, it is hoped, will lift the players and revive the atmosphere in the dug-out – provide the spark that so often makes the difference between victory and defeat in a closely fought game. The Sri Lankan wicket keeper batsman – who could not feature in the first game due to prior Test commitments – can add depth to the Chargers’ batting line-up which was found wanting in their first game, against CSK on Saturday. His return will also relieve Cameron White of the burden of captaincy, which – we can only hope – will better White’s contribution with the bat. Dale Steyn looked threatening against CSK and if used well, he can have a huge impact in the games to come. But as they battle it out over the next six weeks, the team can use this season to rebuild, to discover the charge that’s gone missing.

The journey for Sangakkara’s men is undoubtedly long and arduous, facing heavy odds to even qualify for the play-offs. How much is leadership and team spirit actually worth? Can team work and dedication make up for the lack of stars in the team?

That may decide how this edition turns out for the Chargers.

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