Hyderabad, Oct. 8: As the D-day draws closer for the Deccan Chargers, who will play Somerset CC in their first match of the Champions League on Saturday, all eyes will be on the batsman who will open the innings along with skipper Adam Gilchrist.

While there is no dearth of options for the Bulls, Gilly has already listed out his options in the form of Azhar Bilakhia, Tirumalsetti Suman and V.V.S. Laxman. Interestingly, Gilly opened with Abhinav Kumar in the practice game against Otago Volts and the local lad managed only 14 but it came in quick time. Abhinav was aggressive in his approach - a trait crucial in this format of the game.

Others in the picture - Laxman, Suman and Bilakhia have all opened. Azhar, in particular, appeared excited at the prospect of opening the batting. "To open with Gilly would be fantastic. You get to learn about how to pace the innings and shift gears when necessary," Bilakhia said.

On his preparations for the Champions League, Bilakhia said, "After the IPL-2 in South Africa, we were given a fitness programme to follow. Also I have been playing local games in between that has kept me in good shape."

On the mantra the Bulls follow, he said, "Our coach Darren Lehmann always says - one step at a time. Concentrate and channelise all your energies on the current game in hand and you will be able to perform well.

"We never try to get ahead of ourselves and that I think was a crucial element in our successful campaign in the IPL-2."

While Gilly keeps his cards close to the chest, it will be interesting to see who opens with the skipper on Saturday even as the Bulls get ready to fight for top honours in the tournament.