DC has a few stars, but no chargers!

HYDERABAD: With England’s flamboyant batsman Kevin Pietersen opting for the Delhi Daredevils, pace bowler Ishant Sharma ruled out because of ankle injury and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha moving over to the Mumbai Indians, the first big show of the Deccan Chargers for the IPL-5 was off colour.With other top players like skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who was busy in the home Test series against England, Dale Steyn and JP Duminy, both of South Africa, yet to return from the New Zealand series, the Deccan Chargers could only bring players like Parthiv Patel, former Australian T20 captain Cameron White and leg spinner Amit Mishra for their press conference here on Wednesday, ahead of their first match against the Mumbai Indians in Visakhapatnam on April 7.Coach Darren Lehmann put up a brave face and said they had a young team this season.“We have a younger side than in the past.So we have to give opportunity to some younger guys which is good.They will get the opportunities,’’ he said.He was happy with local talent like DB Ravi Teja, Akshath Reddy and Ashish Reddy.E Venkat Reddy, COO, took pains to dismiss rumours that the franchise was up for sale and that they were also looking for a partner.“Deccan Chargers never put up such a thing..it was totally a unit of Deccan Chronicle Holdings and will be with the Deccan Chronicle only,” he clarified.The Chargers also signed international airline Emirates as team sponsors for the next three IPL seasons.starting with the soon-to-start fifth edition.“We are proud to have a leading global brand like Emirates as our Team Sponsor for the next three seasons of the IPL,” Gayatri Reddy, co-owner of the Deccan Chargers, said.Deccan Chargers will be playing their first four matches outside Hyderabad, two in Visakhapatnam and two in Cuttack before playing the next four in the city.The team had their first serious net session at the Gymkhana grounds in the afternoon.