10 October,2009 07:24 AM IST | | Amol Karhadkar
When Deccan Chargers walk out tonight to take on Somerset in their Champions League Twenty20 opener at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Andrew Symonds will carry more burden than the rest of his teammates.
The all-rounder, after deciding to freelance primarily playing Twenty20 cricket across the globe, makes his first major appearance after being stripped of his contract by Cricket Australia.
And as a member of the defending Indian Premier League champions, he would be expected to make a major contribution.
No wonder then, Symmo's skipper Adam Gilchrist had words of comfort for the controversial all-rounder.
"Symonds is very keen to just play good cricket. He's very committed to our franchise and the whole squad is very excited to be together again," Gilchrist told a media conference yesterday.
Gilchrist also denied that the Hyderabad-based team will carry additional burden of being the IPL champions.
"Most of the teams are champions of their domestic competitions, so we do not feel the extra burden. Just judging by the reception yesterday at the opening ceremony, the three Indian teams are the most popular. It is a wonderful feeling for me to be here, representing an Indian team as its captain. I am proud of that," the Australian said.
