IPL History: Deccan Chargers 2008 squad - Where are they now?

The BCCI initiated the revolutionary Indian Premier League in 2008 with the goal of glorifying the game's shortest format in India. Eight city based franchises namely Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals), Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers, competed against each other to win the coveted title.

After the league's enormous success, two more teams were added in the mix. However, the IPL Governing Council has also suspended and terminated few franchises which had breached their rules in the league's history.

The most successful of the terminated teams was Deccan Chargers. The Hyderabad-based Deccan Chargers won the second season of the IPL in South Africa. They left the IPL in the year 2012. Sunrisers Hyderabad have replaced them since then.

In this article, though we will have a look at the 2008 squad of Deccan Chargers, a season where the team occupied the bottommost position in the points table.

So without further ado, let us have a look at those players and where are they now?

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#1 Shahid Afridi

The Pakistani players were allowed to contest in the first edition of the Indian Premier League and their team's skipper, Shahid Afridi played for the Deccan franchise. The fans had high expectations from 'Boom Boom Afridi' as he was known for his hard hitting abilities.

However, the all-rounder could only score 81 runs in 10 matches at an underwhelming average of 10.12. His highest score in an innings was 33.

With the ball, he scalped 9 wickets in the 30 overs of his leg-spin. His best figures in his only IPL season were 3/28.

Afridi, along with all Pakistani players, was not allowed to play in the IPL after 2008.

The all-rounder had played his international match on 31 May 2018 and he is now enjoying his life outside the cricket field, alongside playing in the Pakistan Super League.

#2 Sanjay Bangar

Jersey number 66 - Sanjay Bangar in IPL 2008

Sanjay Bangar is perhaps one of the most underrated players in the history of Indian cricket. The medium-pace bowling all-rounder played his only IPL season for the Deccan Chargers in 2008. He represented the Deccan Chargers in 11 matches but could not contribute much to the team's cause.

Bangar aggregated a mere 47 runs in 7 innings with a highest score of 17* coming versus Royal Challengers Bangalore. His batting average was just below 8. With the ball, he scalped 4 wickets in 25 overs and had an average of 54.75. His best bowling figures were 2/34.

The Maharashtra-born all-rounder never played in the Indian Premier League after that year but he has been a part of the coaching staff of multiple IPL franchises like Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Kings XI Punjab.

Currently, Sanjay Bangar is the batting coach of the senior Indian cricket team.

#3 Halhadar Das

Odisha-born Halhadar Das made his IPL debut playing for Deccan Chargers in IPL 2008. The wicket-keeper batsman could play only one match that year as Adam Gilchrist was the first choice wicket-keeper of the side.

However, Das could not make the most out of the opportunity got. He was picked in the playing XI for the home game versus Mumbai Indians but Das only added 2 runs to his team's total before losing his wicket. Thus, he was never included in the playing XI after that match and he was released by Deccan Chargers after that season.

Nicknamed Viky, Das continued representing Odisha at the domestic level. His last first class match came in the year 2016. Halhadar is still 32 years of age but after he failed to make it to the Odisha domestic squad, it looks like his cricketing career has come to an abrupt end.

#4 Doddapaneni Kalyankrishna

Very few fans might have heard the name of Doddpaneni Kalyankrishna in the cricket field but this medium-fast bowling all-rounder had dismissed the likes of Kumar Sangakkara and Yusuf Pathan while playing in the 2008 edition of the Indian Premier League.

The Andhra Pradesh-born all-rounder played 3 matches for Deccan Chargers and picked 2 wickets in 8 overs. While batting he could only score 3 runs in 3 games. Hence, he was dropped after the league match against Kings XI Punjab.

Kalyankrishna never played in the IPL after that but he continued playing at the domestic level. He even became the head coach of Krishna District Cricket Association (KDCA) in 2014. The Andhra Cricket Association handed him the work of improving the U-19 standards.

He is currently the bowling coach of Andhra. Besides, Kaltankrishna is also a part of the Telugu commentary team of the Indian Premier League.

#5 David Paidikalva Vijaykumar

A porter who used to earn Rs. 70 to Rs. 170, David Paidikalva Vijaykumar's life changed when he was bought for a price of 60 lakhs by the Deccan Chargers in 2008. The fast bowler played 9 matches for Deccan Chargers and picked 4 wickets.

Being a primary fast bowler, he used to bat in the tail and in the 9 matches he played, he never got a chance to bat for Deccan Chargers. However, Vijaykumar impressed everyone with his pace bowling skills. He had even dismissed Sourav Ganguly in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders and also Virender Sehwag in a fixture versus Delhi.

However, Vijaykumar did not play an IPL match after 2008. Currently 32 years old, David is representing Andhra at the domestic level with the sole goal of returning to the Indian Premier League once again. He even has a 10-wicket haul to his name while playing first-class cricket.

#6 Chamara Silva

Australia v Sri Lanka - Commonwealth Bank Series

Chamara Silva was one of the three Sri Lankan players who played for Deccan Chargers in IPL 2008. The right-handed batsman had served his country for 12 years but his only IPL stint came in 2008 as a part of the Deccan Chargers.

Silva scored 43 runs for the Chargers in 3 games with a highest score of 23 not out. He even bowled one over in his IPL career but his leg breaks could not earn him any wickets. Chamara Silva was released by the Deccan Chargers because of his poor performances.

The now 39-year-old Silva represented Sri Lanka at the international level till 2011, with his last international match coming versus Pakistan. In 2017, he was banned from all forms of cricket for two years as he was found guilty for match-fixing allegations in a domestic encounter between Panadura Cricket Club and Kalutara Physical Culture Club.

#7 Arjun Yadav

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Arjun Yadav was a part of the 2000 U-19 World Cup winning team, where he played as a primary batsman. He could not make it to the senior team but he earned his maiden IPL contract in 2008 when the Deccan Chargers signed him.

Yadav is the son of former BCCI President and Indian cricketer N Shivlal Yadav.

Arjun played 8 matches for Deccan Chargers that year but he could only aggregate 49 runs at an average of 9.80. His highest score was 16. While fielding for Deccan Chargers, he also took one catch.

Yadav played 83 first-class matches and scored 3703 runs, with a highest score of 155. The right-handed batsman was even a part of India Blue once. With his off-break bowling, he had scalped 12 wickets at the first-class level.

He represented Hyderabad at the domestic level till 2012 before he switched to a coaching role in the state team.

#8 Nuwan Zoysa

Nuwan Zoysa, the left-arm fast medium bowler had made his international debut for Sri Lanka way back in 1997. He had played 30 Test matches and 95 ODI games for his country in his international career. However, Zoysa could only play one IPL season in his long career.

Nicknamed Zippy, the fast bowler made his IPL debut for Deccan Chargers in 2008. He donned the Deccan Chargers jersey in 3 matches and he picked 2 wickets in the 11 overs he bowled. Zoysa conceded runs at a hammering economy rate of 9 and hence, he was dropped from the team for his underwhelming performances.

Zoysa has since then shifted his focus in the coaching department. He had worked with the Cricket Association of Goa before he was appointed as the National Fast Bowling Coaching Department of Sri Lanka Cricket.

He was recently penalized by the ICC after he breached the ICC Anti-Corruption Code thrice.

#9 Scott Styris

One of the greatest Kiwi all-rounders of all-time, Scott Styris played 2 IPL seasons for Deccan Chargers. In the inaugural season of IPL, Styris played 8 matches for the Hyderabad franchise and scored 112 runs at a strike of 91.05. He had a lowly batting average of 18.66 in his debut season.

Styris scalped 3 wickets with his right-arm medium pace, with best figures of 1/24. In the next season as well, Scott could not live up to his reputation and performed poorly for Deccan Chargers. Thus, the Deccan Chargers released him after IPL 2009.

Scott Styris played his last IPL season in 2011 as a part of the Chennai Super Kings.

Nicknamed the Rus, the all-rounder played his last international game for New Zealand in the year 2011.

Currently, Styris has become a cricket expert and commentator who voices his views and opinions on the game of cricket.

#10 Adam Gilchrist

Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore - IPL T20

If there was one man who was responsible for the success that Deccan Chargers achieved in the Indian Premier League, it was this man, Adam Gilchrist. Gilly played 3 seasons for Deccan Chargers from 2008-10 and helped them win the IPL championship in the year 2009.

Gilchrist had played a match-winning knock of 109* for the Deccan Chargers in IPL 2008. This century had helped Deccan win their first ever IPL match. Even in 2009, it was his blitzkrieg in the semi-final against Delhi which helped his team reach the grand finale. Gilchrist had a poor outing in IPL 2010 as he averaged only 18.06 that season. Thus, the team released him after that year.

The Aussie then represented Kings XI Punjab in IPL but he retired after IPL 2013.

Gilchrist too has now become a cricket commentator and expert.

#11 Rohit Sharma

Deccan Chargers was the first ever IPL franchise of current Mumbai Indians skipper, Rohit Sharma. He played 3 IPL seasons for Deccan Chargers before he switched to the Mumbai Indians. The Hitman had played 46 matches for his first IPL team in 3 seasons and had aggregated 1,219 runs with a highest score of 76*.

In his debut IPL season, Rohit had scored 404 runs for Deccan Chargers and was the sole bright spot of the team. He had hit 4 half-centuries in IPL 2008. With the ball, he picked 1 wicket in the only innings he rolled his arm that year.

Presently, Rohit is the top opener of the country and is also a 3-time IPL winning captain. He has even led India at the international level. Sharma is one of the 15 members of the Indian squad for the 2019 World Cup and the fans have huge expectations from the Mumbai lad.

#12 RP Singh

RP Singh came out as the best Indian bowler from the Deccan Chargers squad in the three seasons he played for them. The left-arm pacer even won the Purple Cap in 2009 and helped his team win the title.

He represented Deccan Chargers in 44 IPL matches and picked 54 wickets with best figures of 4/22. In the 2008 season, he played all 14 matches for Deccan Chargers and scalped 15 wickets at an economy rate of 8.61.

After being released by Deccan Chargers in 2010, he played for multiple IPL franchises like Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Rising Pune Supergiant. However, the best phase of his IPL career came when he was a part of the Deccan Chargers.

Currently, RP Singh works as a Hindi commentator and cricket expert.

#13 Andrew Symonds

Andrew Symonds was another Australian legend associated with the Deccan Chargers from IPL 2008-10. The all-rounder played 30 matches for Deccan Chargers over the course of these 3 years and scored 849 runs for them, along with taking 19 wickets with the ball.

Symonds hit his first and only IPL hundred while playing for Deccan Chargers in IPL 2008. However, his knock of 117* against Rajasthan Royals went in vain as Deccan Chargers had lost that match. The 2008 season was a nightmare for Symonds the bowler as he leaked runs at an expensive economy rate of 14.78.

After leaving Deccan Chargers in 2010, Andrew Symonds joined Mumbai Indians but he soon bid adieu to the IPL.

Andrew Symonds now does commentary for the domestic matches in Australia and also plays exhibition cricket. He had recently turned up for the Bulls Masters team in a fund-raising T20 match on 24th April.

#14 Chaminda Vaas

Chaminda Vaas, the iconic Sri Lankan pacer played only for the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League. He donned the Deccan Chargers jersey from 2008-10 and scalped 18 wickets for them in the 13 matches he played for them.

His best bowling figures were 3/21. With the bat, he scored 81 runs for them batting in the lower order and he even had a highest score of 20. The Sri Lankan legend did not play in the Indian Premier League after 2010 as he transformed himself from a cricket player to a cricket coach.

Chaminda's first coaching stint came in 2012 when he was asked to coach the Kiwi bowlers. Next, in 2013 he was announced the bowling coach of Sri Lanka. In 2016, he became the bowling coach of Ireland before he returned to the coaching staff of his home nation as a fast bowling consultant and as a mentor in 2017.

#15 VVS Laxman

Since VVS Laxman was the home town boy for Deccan Chargers, he was elected as the captain of the franchise in the inaugural edition. However, Laxman could not do justice to his position as the team faltered under his captaincy.

Not only as a skipper, but Laxman also failed to perform well as an individual player as well. He played 19 matches for Deccan Chargers from IPL 2008 to IPL 2010 but he could only score 228 runs in 19 matches at an under par average of 16.94.

Laxman was released by the Deccan Chargers after IPL 2010 as the Indian legend then joined the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise.

VVS retired from all forms of cricket soon and at the moment he is working as a cricket commentator. Also, he is the mentor of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

#16 Venugopal Rao Yalaka

Venugopal Rao Yalaka was one of the most promising Indian batsmen who even made it to the Indian national team but he could not cement his position. Being a resident of Andhra Pradesh, he was picked up by the Deccan Chargers in IPL 2008.

Rao played 35 matches for Deccan Chargers from 2008-10 and scored 498 runs, with a highest score of 71*. His performances were good but not up to the level that the Deccan Chargers team management would have expected from a former Indian international player. Hence, he was released by Deccan Chargers after IPL 2010. He then joined the Delhi franchise of IPL.

Venugopal Rao's last IPL season came in the year 2014 when he was a part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. He played domestic cricket till 2017 but now he has become a politician. Rao is a member of the Jana Sena political party.

#17 Pragyan Ojha

Ojha had a successful stint with DC

Pragyan Ojha was the most successful spinner of the Deccan Chargers side, having scalped 62 wickets in 54 matches for the now-defunct franchise. The left-arm orthodox spinner had won the Purple Cap award in the year 2010. He had even played an integral role in his side's title victory in 2009.

In his debut IPL season for Deccan Chargers, Ojha had picked 11 wickets in 13 matches. His best figures were 2/18 while he conceded runs at an economy rate of 7.67. He was released by the Deccan Chargers in 2011 as he became a member of the Mumbai Indians then.

Ojha's IPL career ended in 2015 but he has been playing domestic cricket regularly. The Odisha-born player had turned up for Bihar recently in the domestic circuit. Besides, he also works as a Hindi commentator.

#18 Dwaraka Ravi Teja

Dwaraka Ravi Teja is the only player on this list who stayed with the Deccan Chargers till the franchise was terminated. He represented the Deccan Chargers in all the IPL seasons they played from 2008-12. However, he was not a regular member of the playing XI as he could only play 30 matches for the Deccan franchise.

In those 30 matches, he scored 361 runs, which included a solitary half-century. Though he did not perform well for the team, he was always retained by the team management. Ravi Teja also picked one wicket while playing for Deccan Chargers.

He joined the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013 but was soon released.

The right-handed batsman is still actively playing for Andhra in the domestic tournaments. He last played for Andhra Pradesh on 25th February 2019 against Jammu and Kashmir.

Thus, these were the 18 players who formed the Deccan Chargers squad in IPL 2008.