Cape Town, April 20: Deccan Chargers, who finished at the bottom of the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL), began the second edition with a bang, scoring an emphatic eight-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.

It was an all-round show by the Deccan Chargers. The bowlers, Rudra Pratap Singh (4-22) and Fidel Edwards, supported by some superb fielding, bowled a tight line and length to restrict Knight Riders for 101 in 19.4 overs. While chasing, Herschelle Gibbs scored an unbeaten 43 off 26 balls and Rohit Sharma scored a stoke-filled 36 not out to reach the target in 13.1 overs.

Opting to bat under wet conditions back fired for Knight Riders’ newly appointed captain Brendon McCullum, as his batsmen failed to get the measure of the track and found it difficult to play their shots. Edwards gave away just six runs from his four overs. The West Indies paceman’s spell tied down the Knight Riders batsmen that helped man of the match Rudra Pratap pick up the wickets. Pragyan Ojha and Scot Styris also got two wickets each.

Lot depended on McCullum to give them an explosive start. But the Kiwi batsman could manage only one and went out tamely edging Rudra Pratap’s leg-side delivery to Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Glchrist.

Sourav Ganguly (one) also misfired. Debutant Harmmeet Singh removed the former Indian skipper, edging to VVS Laxman at slips. Brad Hodge played a patient 33 to drag the Knight Riders past the 100-run mark.

For Deccan Chargers, it was just the target they could have wished and the stage was set for Gibbs, who treated the Knight Riders’ bowlers with disdain. His 26-ball stay was studded with five fours and a huge six.