IPL 2009 Preview: Deccan Chargers

Deccan Chargers

One of the favourites in IPL 2008 but disappointed and ended up with the wooden spoon. Installed as the rank outsiders this year. Really tough to recommend any of their players. maybe Symonds if he does not go off with Australia and stays for the duration, and Sharma and Gilchrist are around 3-1 to take batting honours for Deccan Chargers.

Key Players: Rohit Sharma, Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds

Ins and Outs: Deccan Charges Ceased all ties with Shahid Afridi and placed Gibbs up for sale, who was unsold. They released former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, and signed Queensland all-rounder Ryan Harris due to Darren Lehmann. In the auction, the Deccan Chargers bought Fidel Edwards for $150,000, and Dwayne Smith for $100,000. They also added six new domestic players, T.Suman and Abhinav Kumar are two batsmen,bowler S.M.Shoaib from the Hyderabad, team signed after their consistent performances on the domestic circuit, M.S.Bisla, a Wicket-Keeper from Himachal Pradesh and two fast bowlers from Punjab, Jaskarandeep Singh and H.S. Bansal.

Batsmen

Chamara Silva retired as a Sri Lanka interntional and only 29. Right handed aggressive middle order batsman and avereged around 30 in ODI.
Herschelle Gibbs 35 year old South African and was the first player to hit 6 sixes from one over in any form of International cricket. The hard hitting right hander has also been known to enjoy the odd betting and smoking scandal.
V.V.S.Laxman Indias' Very Very Special right handed bat averages around 30 in ODI. Plays well against spin due to his supple wrists. A point which may've been broached by Afridi last season when stripped of his captaincy.
Venugopal Rao Young Indian one dayer. Along with Sharma, was one of the few successful Deccan Chargers players of IPL 2008. Made 365 runs in 14 innings, containing 3 fifties at a strike rate around 125. Also hit 16 sixes and 26 fours in last seasons the tournament.
Rohit Sharma 21 year old Indian ODI and already with more than 37 games under his belt since 2007. Averages around 28 as a middle order batsman. One of the leading run scorers in the 2008 IPL season with 404 runs at an average of 36.72.

Arjun Yadav 27 year old Indian domestic batsman. Averages 22 in List A.

D.B.Ravi Teja India U-19 batsman averaging 30 in List A. Also bowls some useful spin.
T.Suman Indian dmestic all rounder.
Abhinav Kumar Right handed Indian domestic batsman.

All Rounders

Dwayne Smith hard hitting right-handed batsman and bowls medium pacers. Probably the most nimble of the West Indians in the field. ODI averages are 15 with the bat and 37 with the ball.
Scott Styris 33 year old New Zealand short format specialist. An all rounder in his 2nd year of a 3 year contract with the Deccan Chargers.

Andrew Symonds Most expensive player $1.35 million in IPL 1008. Made 117 not out off 53 balls and was still on the losing side when bowling the last over and conceeded 19. May be available for the entire season if he is dropped from the Australia squad for their tour of Pakistan (assuming the tour goes ahead at all).
Ryan Harris Common garden variety Australian domestic player. Signed at request of Lehman.

Wicket Keepers

Adam Gilchrist(Captain) Aggressive leftie batsman and the greatest wicket keeper in the history of the game. Enough said.

Halhadar Das Young Indian domestic wicket keeper who averages 35 with the bat in List A cricket.

M.S.Bisla Indian domestic wicket keeper.

Bowlers

R. P. Singh Young left arm fast-medium and 2nd highest wicket taker at 2007 ICC World Twenty20 taking 12 in 7 games at an average of around 12.

Fidel Edwards Pacey West Indian reverse swing bowler. Can be inconsistant and injury prone, yet still has a respectable average around 29 for ODI.

Chaminda Vaas One of the best ever Sri Lankan fast bowlers. Now in his mid thirties and slowed down a little, and has learnt a few new tricks, like reverse swing. Averages around 27 for ODI, and also a useful left handed batsman.
Nuwan Zoysa Thirty something Sri Lankan left handed seamer averaging around 30 in ODI, and like, Vaas, an aggressive lower order batsman.
Pragyan Ojha Some have stated that the Chargers' spinner Pragyan Ojha will be their major asset because of his recent performance in all forms of the game. Averaging around 19 with the ball in Twenty20.
M Sarveesh Kumar 20 year old Indian medium pacer.
H.S.Bansal Newly acquired quick Indian paceman.
Jaskarandeep Singh Another newly acquired Indian pace bowler.
P. Vijay Kumar Young Indian domestic bowler.
S.M.Shoaib Newly signed Indian bowler who's been talked up on several Indian blogs.
D.Kalyankrishna Indian right arm medium fast bowler who's also a useful batsman down the order.