Vaastu expert Ananth Malaya Sidhanti Sharma (left) at Barabati stadium in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, March 12: This season, Deccan Chargers plan to script its IPL success story brick by brick.

The vaastu expert of the Deccan Chargers team, which is scheduled to play two matches at Barabati Stadium here for Indian Premier League (IPL)-V, has found four architectural defects (vaastu dosh) as per the vaastu sashtra (science of architecture) based on traditional and archaic views on the laws of nature affecting human dwellings.

The expert, Ananth Mallaya Sidhanti Sharma, today after inspecting the stadium, suggested some remedies for the success of the Hyderabad-based franchisee, which has adopted Cuttack, a non-IPL franchisee city as an alternative venue. “On the whole, Barabati is a good ground for the Deccan Chargers. However, there is some defect in one of the toilets, particularly near the corporate boxes. We could place 17 bricks inside the toilet to overcome the problem,” said Sharma, adding that the time after March 27 would prove to be favourable for the team.

The Chargers would play against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 22 and take on Pune Warriors on May 1 at Barabati. The vaastu expert has also advised that a special puja be performed at the stadium soon.

“Vaastu plays a crucial role in the day-to-day life of every individual. By applying certain principles and techniques and introducing a bit of change, one can get the desired results,” Sharma said. He had visited Jagannath temple in Puri yesterday to perform a puja for the team.

Sources in the Odisha Cricket Association said the vaastu expert had also suggested that a Ganesh idol and picture of Ganesh temple be positioned in the players’ dressing room and office of the Deccan Chargers.

“We will extend full co-operation to the Chargers and accommodate the necessary changes as per the advice of their vaastu expert,” said secretary of the association Ashirbad Behera.

Behera said that as per the expert’s advice, there need not be any demolition or further construction to rectify the defects in the toilet.

At the cricket stadium at Uppal in Hyderabad, the Chargers have installed a Ganesh statue and also made several vaastu changes. “Direction of the dressing room doors, change of location of the players’ pavilions, even construction of a water sump were the main changes made by the team in the third season, which they lost last year.

Though Sidhanti was not available for comment, a Chargers spokesman said such rituals and divine blessings were sought by every team and the Chargers was not a stranger to such practices. “After all we are Indians, though we play cricket,” said the spokesman.

The Chargers were earlier scheduled to play one match against Delhi Daredevils here on April 19, which now stands cancelled. The team has signed up Biplab Samantray and Paresh Patel, two popular faces of the Odisha domestic circuit, for Rs 30 lakh for one season.

The team has also taken the responsibility of selling the tickets for the two games and would pay the association Rs 30 lakh for each match. The gallery ticket prices had been slashed more by half and would be available at Rs 200 and above, Behera said.

The Deccan Chargers owners, Gayatri and Venkat Reddy, took part in the homam (a three-day ritual) before each season. “The players and the team offer a round trip to Tirupati for blessings of Lord Venkateswara,” said a spokesman.