Jan. 9: Money well spent. Those three words best describe the Deccan Chargers approach to the IPL auction that concluded on Sunday. Assembling a line-up that can annihilate the opposition at a decent price is no mean task but calculated moves at the auction table ensured the Chargers got the bazookas for broke.
With nine overseas players, five of whom are high profile, and four Indian internationals in the kitty for just $6.875 million, the IPL-2 champions are still loaded with $2.12 million, a massive bag to sign up domestic players.
Then comes the bonus, in the form of experience. Among the 14 players picked are three international captains — the mercurial Kevin Pietersen, the calm Kumar Sangakkara and the dependable Cameron White.
The trio can change the complexion of a game in minutes with their big hitting. The sturdy Shikhar Dhawan and ever-reliable, multi-tasking J.P. Duminy could be perfect foils to the biggies in the larger game plan.
The bowling department looks tight and menacing and towering, literally. South Africa’s dangerous Dale Steyn, India’s naggingly accurate, Ishant Sharma and the meticulous Manpreet Gony don’t give an inch and should make the batsmen hop with their express pace while IPL’s leading spinners, 2009 Purple Cap owner Pragyan Ojha and hat-trick man Amit Mishra can tie the opposition in knots.
Add to that Sunday’s prize catch Daniel Christian, an allrounder who can be lethal with the ball as well as the bat.
Daniel is an aborigine from the Wiradjuri tribe in Australia who consistently figures in the batting and bowling top brackets in the tough Aussie. The 27-year-old is known Down Under for his aggression, a quality that goes with the Bulls’ approach. Given his penchant for innovation, Daniel is cut out for T20 cricket.
South African seamer Juan Theron, at 25, too is a Twenty20 specialist adept at baffling batsmen with his wide variety of deceptive deliveries.
Chris Lynn is an ambitious youngster ever-hungry for runs, evident from his century — he brought it up with a six — in only his second game in the Australian domestic season. The 20-year-old is one for the future.
Standing six feet tall, England’s Michael Lumb can use the long handle to good effect in getting quick runs. Coach Darren Lehmann can relax. He doesn’t need to worry about injuries to players in the gruelling league given the strong bench. The team is in peak physical condition.
The Chargers are set to rock. Hyderabad couldn’t have asked for more.