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ToggleFormer Indian left-arm spinner, Pragyan Ojha has shed light on how now-defunct Deccan Chargers franchise went beyond every obstacle to win their maiden IPL title in 2009. Deccan Chargers are one of the original IPL fairytales in the tournament‘s illustrious 12-year history. Finishing last in the first edition and only winning two games, they re-invented themselves and ended up coming first in the second IPL season.
Ojha, who recently announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, was their highest wicket-taker that season. He performed exceptionally well in the final and made a dream come true for the Hyderabad franchise. He took three wickets in the final and restricted the Royal Challengers Bangalore from chasing the 144-run target.
Pragyan Ojha has now revealed the pressure that the team faced in IPL 2009 and overcame the hurdles to win their first-ever IPL trophy despite being the underdogs.
Pragyan Ojha Reveals How Deccan Chargers Won IPL 2009
“After finishing last in 2008, we didn’t have sponsors. Because of late sponsors, you know, when we reached South Africa, we had a limited amount of clothes…training kits. That’s when Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) came and told us that all these things don’t matter, what matters is once you win the championship, see how things will change. And I’m telling you, once we won, it was totally a different thing,” Ojha told Cricbuzz.
The Deccan Chargers managed 143 for six in the final at Johannesburg. In reply, Ojha (3/28) and Harmeet Singh (2/23) restricted Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to 137 for nine and won the tie by six runs.
“Deccan Chargers were suddenly a different brand. Everybody started looking at us in a different way. You’re playing in alien conditions, nobody had a home advantage… nobody expected us to win after how we performed in the first [season]. We were a different team in the second edition,” said Ojha.
Adam Gilchrist Was A Balanced Captain: Pragyan Ojha
Deccan Chargers had the likes of Gilchrist, a young Rohit Sharma, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds in their ranks but Ojha feels it was the youngsters who excelled under the leadership of Gilchrist.
“Gilly was so balanced. He knew exactly how to absorb pressure from the owners, or external pressure. He soaked in all of it and kept that away from the team and the support staff. Whatever pressure that the team used to face, maybe we didn’t do well in some games or whatever, there was pressure from the owners, outsiders, like people not from the 15, support staff, he handled that very well. It was one of our biggest strengths,” Ojha added.