Buoyed by the success of the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), its chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi said the eight-team tournament will be expanded to 10 teams in 2011. Modi said the IPL will be back in India next year and the cramped International Cricket Council (ICC) schedule does not leave any room for the possibility of a second IPL in a calendar year in 2010. “We have been missing India but we have made a strong fan base in South Africa. We have a tight schedule next year. We will have two more teams in the league,” said Modi. Modi, who is also the vice president of the Indian cricket board, said that organising the IPL in South Africa was a great experience. “We had a great time in South Africa. Everything was perfect. I am satisfied with the way the tournament was successfully conducted here at such a short time,” he said.

Deccan Chargers beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by six runs in a dramatic finish at the Wanderers in Johannesburg to become the champions of the Indian Premier League, 2009. Chasing 144, Bangalore could manage 137. As a former generation of Indian cricketers could tell you, a modest total is often enough to win a major final. So it was at the Wanderers as the Deccan Chargers put up 143 on the board and then fielded magnificently to stop the Bangalore Royal Challengers six runs short. Spare a thought for Anil Kumble. Six years ago, he watched from the bench as India were annihilated in a World Cup final at this very venue. This time, he did all that could be asked of him, getting Adam Gilchrist for a duck on his way to sensational figures of 4 for 16. Sadly, some of his star batsmen lost their nerve when it mattered, and the Chargers’ heroes held theirs.

Rahul Dravid won’t look back with any pleasure at the attempted paddle that saw his leg stump knocked out, while Ross Taylor will wonder how he managed to pull one straight to the man in the deep. And what of Robin Uthappa, whose tactics in the final over could be called mindless at best? But this wasn’t just about Bangalore’s mistakes. Having made 33 with the bat, Andrew Symonds took out Taylor and Virat Kohli in the same over, changing the game decisively. There are few better impact players in the game and if Australia don’t win the Ashes comfortably this summer, Andrew Hilditch and his colleagues should be dragged off to the loony bin. And what about Gilchrist, who may have failed with the bat but marshalled his bowling resources so superbly? The one-in-a-generation-cricketer tag is often abused by writers and commentators, but in Gilchrist’s case, he has been so much more than that. He’s right up there with Bradman, Tendulkar, Richards and Warne.

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Deccan Chargers sailed past the victory target with 2 overs to spare and 6 wickets in hand. Final Score: Delhi Daredevils - 153/8 (20 overs) and Deccan Chargers - 154/4 (17.4 overs). Deccan Chargers win by 6 wickets. Not surprisingly, Adam Gilchrist was crowned the Man of the Match for his captain’s knock. Incidentally, Gilchrist also set a record of sorts in Supersport Stadium in Centurion by scoring the fastest fifty (off 17 balls) in IPL-2. The second semi-final will be played tomorrow between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers (Bangalore) in Johannesburg.

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Jacques Kallis hit an unbeaten half-century to guide the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a convincing seven-wicket victory over Delhi Daredevils and keep their hopes of making it to the semi-finals in the Indian Premier League alive, in Johannesburg on Tuesday.

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