Deccan Chargers in the IPL

From last to first

Deccan Chargers, the Hyderabad franchise, spent more than anyone at the first auction, on Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs and a young Rohit Sharma among others, and finished last. A year later, with the tournament moved to South Africa, the same core under Gilchrist won the title. At the 2009 auction Deccan had spent less than any other franchise. R. P. Singh took the most wickets that season.

The squad

Deccan relied on overseas players more than any franchise that has lasted more than two seasons; most of their auction money went on them. Rohit Sharma played his first three IPL seasons for Deccan before Mumbai bought him in 2011, and Pragyan Ojha was the leading wicket-taker in 2010, when Deccan again reached the semi-finals. At the 2011 mega auction they rebuilt around Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn and Cameron White, and did not reach the playoffs again.

The end

The franchise's owners ran into financial trouble, and in 2012 the league terminated its contract. A new Hyderabad franchise, Sunrisers Hyderabad, took its place from 2013. The two are separate franchises, and this archive keeps their records apart.

How Deccan spent

Deccan bought 31 players at auction across their five seasons. They spent more at the first auction than any other franchise and less at the second than any other, and won the title in the year they spent least. More than two thirds of their auction money went on overseas players, the highest share of any franchise that lasted more than two seasons. Their two most expensive buys, Andrew Symonds in 2008 and Dale Steyn in 2011, each cost ₹5.4 crore.

Most of Deccan's spending came at the 2011 mega auction, when they rebuilt around Sangakkara, Steyn, Cameron White and Daniel Christian. Steyn took 14 wickets and Christian was a useful all-rounder, but the side did not reach the playoffs in either of its last two seasons.

The franchise's real legacy was the players it gave their first IPL seasons to. Rohit Sharma, bought at the first auction, and Pragyan Ojha both became mainstays of other franchises and of India's teams. The 2009 title, won by a side that had finished last a year earlier, remains one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the league's history.

Deccan in CricArcade

In IPL Dynastyyou can start as Deccan Chargers in any season from 2008 to 2012, with that year's real squad and purse, and see whether you can turn the 2008 side round faster than Gilchrist did.