Analysing the failure of Deccan Charges in IPL 2008
India - June 04, 2008

IPL has been a huge success. And as the tournment ended this season, the viewer interest in this Cricket League is bound increase.

Rajasthan Royals won the Trophy. Kings XI Punjab were also if you see 2nd best team but not able to reach to the finals. The Delhi Daredevils have also managed to get their own spot in the Semi-Finals.

Deccan Chargers, why they have fared so badly. From one of the top teams at the start of the league, they are lying at the bottom of the table, as the league ended.

The Hyderabad Team which is named as Deccan Chargers, boasts of some of the most destructive batsmen in the world cricket. Names like VVS Laxman, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Shahid Afridi, Scott Styris and Herschelle Gibbs are players of immense talent. On their day, they can win matches single handedly by their destructive batting skills that are famed for.

And the newest find of the tournment Rohit Sharma has turned out to be the Run machine, and his eye soothing batting style reminds me of Sachin Tendulkar when he started his career playing for India, when his habit of drinking Milk was not even gone !

And also Venugopal Rao has contributed his bit in the matches he played in the tournment so far.

On paper, the Batting line up of Deccan Charges is any opposition’s envy and fear. But, unfortunately, it didnt turnout to be the case on the field !

Now consider the Bowling Line up. Chaminda Vaas and RP Singh have the required credentials against their name. Their talent and performances would have been the major factor for the management of Deccan Charges to buy them.

These players have been chosen at the time of auction, considering their international standing and talent. And anybody would have thought that this team will give a good show in the tournment.

But unfortunately, that was not the case !

There are many reasons for this failure of Deccan Charges as a team.

First. Leadership Crisis. The leader of a cricket team essentially has to be its Captian. When VVS Laxman was offered the Icon Status by the board, then his decision of not to choose this option is the major factor, i feel, that this team has developed this present leadership crisis. Sure, VVS Laxman is still the Captain of the Team. But, to get one player at a high cost, namely Andrew Symonds, his supposedly wise decision of foregoing the Icon Status, has contributed to this Leadership Crisis.

This is becasue this gives a wrong message to the team members, who have their own awesome international standing. Sure, the members have to gel as a team, and they are all equals in the team. But, this folly of VVS Laxman to forego the Icon Status to buy One player at a high cost, surely will not distinguish him as a Leader or Captain.

Ideally, VVS Laxman should have accepted this previledge that other Icon Status players in other teams have accepted, and not succumb to the Limit of USD5Mio for each team imposed by the board.

Take the example of Rajasthan Royals. Their team does not consist of very many big players. But, the charismatic leadership of Shane Warne has made this supposedly dull team, into the powerhouses of IPL today. Surely, Shane Warne is a great player and he didnt have an Icon Status tag. But, kudos for his leadership skills and his ability as a player, that he has managed to make his team as a formidable team. The members of this team look at him as a “Leader and Captain”, which is missing in the case of VVS Laxman.

Ofcourse, even if VVS Laxman had accepted the Icon Status tag, he should have the required Leadership Skills, which i sadly have to confess, that he does not have. I say so, because of his inability to stay in the Indian Team for a long time. But, mind you, i have no doubt about his ability as a player and he is one of the most natural, stylish and destructive batsman of the contemporary world cricket.

Second. Improper choice of team composition. T20 was thought to have been a batsman’s game, with bowlers expected to become the prey of the batsmen, in indian batting conditions. That is the reason why the management of Deccan Chargers didnt seem to buy more bowlers of international class.

But, as the tournment progressed, that didnt turnout to be the case. As the tournment was in the middle stages, the teams could feel the pressure, and in the process the bowlers seem to have capitalized on this situation, and give better performances. That is why we see hatricks in a T20 game, which was not expected at the start of the league. Pressure takes its toll on everybody you see.

Third. No proper support for Deccan Chargers from the start. If we see other teams that have fared well in this tournment, either they have huge publicities or famous film personalities have lent a hand to build up the support for their respective team.

Mumbai Indians have huge support from the bollywood. So is the case with Kolkata Knight Riders. So is the case with Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Superkings.

But, the famous personalities from Telugu Industry seem to be just disinterested to support for the Hyderabad Team, which is sad.

Fourth. Some players leaving the league early. Frankly i think some players who have opted to play in this league, have played just for the sake of Big Bucks that it offers. I do find sense in the decision of Australian Cricket Board to oppose the “Auction of Playes” at the start of the league. And i also think that once a player is contracted to play in the league, then he has to be there till the journey of his team ends in the league.

This leaving of some players, across all eight teams in the league, gives me the impression, that this league is some “Paid Summer Holiday” for them. I frankly think that should not be the case.

A team will have to be built from scratch, and it takes some time for it to blossom like a wonderful flower. When some players leave at the middle, then the whole character of the team changes. Deccan Chargers is a victim of this. Surely, other teams have also suffered. But, i would say, Deccan Charges is the most hit by this phenomenon.

I dont question the boards of other countries, when they summon their players for national duty, but IPL has to some how ensure that the players playing in the league, stay with the league till it ends !

Fifth. Auctioning of Players. I am against this auction of players. I simply think that this will not work out in Indian Sports Scene. As the league enters into very many seasons, then we would see some incredible amounts being paid to various players, and the sum of each and every player is bound to increase in every season. What that means, is that Incredible amounts would be paid for some “Short Stay” of players in the league, that is, players leaving the league at the middle, which is not desirable.

One might argue, the whole purpose of this “auction of players” is to create more and more money for the team owners. But, ultimately, the proportions of this “Increase in Player Fees” due to auctions, as IPL progresses to say 5 years henceforth, would not be financially viable. Particularly for those owners who loose badly, like this Hyberabad Team has this season.

I would say, instead of auction of players, give equal amounts to all the players. Bonuses for wins. But, that would mean that the whole “structure” of IPL would have to be changed.

I have to confess, in the long run, the present system of IPL would fail miserably. Lalit Modi, better work out some other “IPL Fee Structure” which is conducive with indian conditions. Imitating the european clubs, would be a folly in India. That is, no point in increasing the fees of players to huge unsustainable sums through auction, buying and selling of players.

The best idea would be to build the brand of the respective teams, instead of scrambling upon some famous players and wooing them with some incredible and rediculous sums of money.

Sixth. Luck. Deccan Charges have lost all the matches in their home stadium. That would be really demoralizing for the team as a whole. And considering many matches they played, have turned out to very close, Luck seems to be illuding them everytime they step on the field.

I am still with Deccan Chargers and i truely believe that they have all those qualities and talent to win the title of the league. But, i am dissappointed that will not happen this season.

Deccan Chargers better luck next time.

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