4th Match - Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders Live Score

Team news

With Andrew Symonds away on national duty, Hyderabad Deccan are without one of their biggest crowdpullers and matchwinners. In his absence, there'll be added responsibility on Rohit to repeat last year's heroics. In conditions which should help seam and swing, Chaminda Vaas could be handy and should bag the allrounder's slot. 

The Hyderabad Deccan Chargers haven't been in the news much, but after their disastrous season last year, they've probably decided that a low-key pre-tournament approach would serve them better. In Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs, they have an opening pair to match Kolkata's but the bowling looks thin, and could well be their Achilles heel.

Like Hyderabad Deccan Chargers, Kolkata will miss an Australian too - David Hussey is readying himself for the ODIs against Pakistan, and in his absence Brad Hodge should get a chance as one of the four foreign players. Kolkata have a slight injury concern with Cheteshwar Pujara, who injured his knee during a warm-up game. If he doesn't recover, Vinit Indulkar or Sanjay Bangar might get a game. With the conditions being what they are, it's unlikely Kolkata will play two spinners, which suggests Murali Kartik will miss out. 

Kolkata have hogged the limelight in the build-up to IPL 2009, while Deccan Chargers have been virtually silent. Plenty has been written and said about John Buchanan's radical multiple captain theory, but Brendon McCullum's subsequent appointment as captain put to rest all the speculation. Sourav Ganguly said he was 'okay' with that decision, but he, and the other key players in the team, will need to play significant roles if Kolkata are to finish higher than last year's sixth place. In Chris Gayle and McCullum, they have potentially one of the most explosive opening combinations in the tournament, while Ishant Sharma and Ajantha Mendis could be quite a handful with the ball. First, though, they need to keep out the extraneous factors and concentrate on the cricket.

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Friendly fire

Gayle v Edwards: If Edwards gets the new ball and finds his rhythm early, there could be some fireworks when he bowls to his West Indian captain.

Watch out for

Ishant Sharma v Gilchrist & Gibbs: Ishant was a more than handful for the Australians on their bouncy pitches last year, and in helpful conditions, he could pose plenty of questions for Deccan's openers. Equally, neither Gilchrist nor Gibbs will take a backward step, especially in this format, which could make for a spicy contest.

Head-to-head record

Deccan opened their campaign last year too against Kolkata, and lost on a minefield of a pitch at the Eden Gardens by five wickets. The return game was a high-scoring one, and Kolkata won that too, by 23 runs.