IPL Team Previews: Deccan Chargers

Deccan Chargers, owned by the Deccan Chronicle with a franchise cost estimated around $107 million, is arguably the Indian Premier League's most financially strong teams.

But, despite a star-studded squad which featured the likes of Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, Shahid Afridi, Adam Gilchirst, Scott Styris, Chaminda Vaas, and Rohit Sharma, the Chargers failed miserably in the inaugural edition of the IPL and ended the tournament at the bottom of the table.

As we approach the second edition of the Indian Premier League, the Chargers have strengthened their squad by adding the likes of Fidel Edwards and Dwayne Smith to their setup.

Critics have blamed former skipper V.V.S. Laxman for the poor display shown by the Chargers. Laxman was criticised for being "too defensive-minded" as a leader. To be fair to Laxman, he was injured during the latter part of the tournament and the skipper's responsibility was eventually given to Adam Gilchirst.

Gilchirst will be leading the Chargers, backed up by coach Darren Lehmann, but the Hyderabadi side clearly does not boast the best bowling attack in the league.

Chaminda Vaas is expected to lead the attack while Fidel Edwards is also a contender. Sanjay Bangar, R.P. Singh, Andrew Symonds, Scott Styris, and Pragyan Ojha will all have to play a role with the ball, especially since Pakistan's swashbuckling all-rounder Shahid Afridi has not been given permission to participate in the competition.

Afridi's unavailability could also result in a depleted Chargers' batting lineup, who will rely on the likes of Gilchirst, Symonds, Gibbs, Styris, Ravi Teja, Sharma, and Venu Gopal Rao for runs.

The Chargers certainly are not a perfectly balanced team, but they have the quality to compete with the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings.