Thank goodness… it is finally over. Well, that’s what each and every Hyderabadi present at the Visaka Cricket Ground felt at about 11:30pm on 27th may. The very troubled run of IPL’s Hyderabad representation called Deccan Chargers got over with playing cricket this season. Yes, as usual they lost one more, and there I had a new slogan courtesy two friends of mine. It goes like… One and Two and Three and Four… Deccan Chargers are No more… While the first half is patented to my pen pal (keyboard pal would be apt for this age), Sunny Khandelwal, another friend of mine Robin Cornelius, who works for the Indian Multinational, added the latter half describing the true emotion a cricket fan in Hyderabad went through that night. While we shrugged it off saying a bad season, 12 losses out of 14 attempts was not as easy as a Hyderabadi light lelo yarron, for people who were a part of it. The fact that Adam ‘Churchie’ Glichrist actually apologized to the cheering crowd talks about how the guys in the dressing room must have felt.

 

I am not an analyst to tell you the real reasons behind the loss. But for what I understand about the game and also for what I have seen from other teams in the IPL, I can say just one thing. It’s not about how much you spend (Mumbai for example), it’s not about how much you strategize (Kolkata with Buchanan), it’s also not about how many stars you have in your side (Deccan), it’s only about how passionate you are about the game, it’s about how much you can give to the game on the field and it’s about how desperately you want to win. Rajasthan Royals is the biggest example. They did not have the money of Mumbai, Strategy of Kolkata and Stardom of Deccan, they are on the top of the table just because of sheer passion and commitment and the will to win.

 

I am not saying the Chargers did not have these qualities, they sure did. The reason they did not win is that they couldn’t display them or action them when needed… on the field that is. If you were on the ground for the last match, and were present till the last ball, you will vouch for the commitment the team showed in the last 10 overs. They made life so difficult for the Chennai Super Kings that they had to go till the last over to chase down a very modest 147. If that level of commitment was shown throughout the tourney, we would have seen the Chargers in the semi finals.

 

Ironically, it was the big four of the Indian cricket that was out of the IPL with the new brigade going ahead and battling for the honors. With Sachin, Saurav, Rahul and Laxman out, it’s a battle between Dhoni, Yuvraj, Sehwag and the tough nut Aussie Shane Warne. Is that a signal?? Is that a sign of things to come?? I have no answer today.

 

As a Hyderabadi who loves cricket and hates business in cricket, I still have my loyalties with Hyderabad Heroes. I also hope the next season gets more local flavor to the tourney and let us witness our own Hyderabadi stars battling out under the Deccan Chargers banner. So long for DC I wish I hear this again… One and Two and three and four, Deccan Chargers give us more….. Victories that is.