Skipper Adam Gilchrist's breezy 35-ball 54 went in vain as defending champions Deccan Chargers suffered a 11-run defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match of the third edition of Indian Premier League here today.

After Angelo Mathews (65n.O.) and Owais Shah (58n.O.) struck unbeaten half-centuries to rescue Knight Riders from a dismal start and steered them to a fighting 161 for four, the Sourav Ganguly-led side restricted Deccan to 150 for seven at the floodlit DY Patil Stadium.

Paceman Charl Langeveldt scalped two wickets for 26 runs, while the whole Kolkata bowling department, consisting of Ishant Sharma (1/31) and Laxmi Ratan Shukla (1/30), fired in unison to help the Kolkata team open their campaign on a winning note.

From 99 for two at the fall of Gilchrist, who played a typically flamboyant innings, the defending champions lost wickets steadily and with that the match too as the other batsmen were not up to the task.

Gilchrist, who struck three fours and as many sixes, powered Chargers in the company of VVS Laxman (22 off 14) to 61 for the first wicket and then to 99 before pulling a long hop from counterpart Brad Hodge (1/14) to deep square leg to depart.