NEW DELHI: Deccan Chargers coach Darren Lehmann admitted Monday that failure to execute plans led to the downfall of the 2009 champions in the fifth season of Indian Premier League (IPL).
It has been a miserable season of the Deccan Chargers as they are lying at the bottom of the table with just two wins to their credit from 14 matches.
"We haven't executed our plans well. We have missed a lot of opportunities when we should have taken them. It's about getting our basics right and that's what we have to do better," said Lehmann on the sidelines of a coaching clinic held by their sponsors Emirates.
For the 2009 champions things could have been a lot different if they hadn't faltered towards the end. Deccan have lost five matches in last over finishes with two of them going down to the final ball.
The former Australian batsman, however, was happy with the effort the youngsters and felt that they could only improve from here on in.
"Younger guys are learning, the more experience they get the better they become in those situations. As long as they learn from their mistakes as a coach I'm happy.
"I want our players to have fun. There's a lot passion for cricket in India but it's still has to be fun. If you are enjoying the game and playing entertaining brand of cricket then you can play well. Our boys train harder than anyone else so I'm happy about that," he said.
Asked about skipper Kumar Sangakkara's poor form with the bat, Lehmann said: "He's a champion, he's our captain and he has done a wonderful job behind the scenes. Obviously he would have liked more runs but we have a special man, who looks after all the players. I'm sure he'll turn his form around in the near future."
Sangakkara has scored 118 runs from 11 matches with an average of 18.
Meanwhile, South African batsman Jean-Paul Duminy, who has surprisingly has been omitted from numerous matches after scoring 146 runs in seven matches, felt that the team needed some luck to go their way.
"We have had very little luck coming our way. In this game you make your own luck, we have been in some close situations. Four or five times we have been involved in last ball finishes and it hasn't gone our way," Duminy said.