Fasten seat belt for another fantastic ride

The End. These words nearly always bring along a sad connotation. But if you look carefully, they are also nearly always accompanied by two other words - New Beginnings. That has rarely been more evident that on the climactic day of the second edition of DLF Indian Premier League in South Africa.

A few months ago, we thought we had seen the last of champions like Anil Kumble and Matthew Hayden. How wrong we were! Like Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne, they made new beginnings in IPL 2009 season. Of course, we will not see them on the international stage again but they showcased the competitive streak that was so palpable in their Test and ODI careers.

And now, with just one game left for new champions to be identified, it is wonderful that Kumble and Gilchrist will be walking out for the toss at the Bull Ring aka the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Sunday evening. They have both been inspirational leaders - and not just because their teams are competing for the Rs 2.40-crore top prize.

Look at how they kept calm even under pressure when their decisions at the toss came under question early in their respective semifinals. If it is true that the whole team - young and old - looks at the leader and picks up the vibes, then Gilchrist and Kumble have ensured that they have only sent out the right vibes to their colleagues.

Delhi Daredevils were 83 for two in 10 overs, thanks to Virender Sehwag and Tillekeratne Dilshan's spectacular counter-attack, but were stopped at 153 for eight in 20 overs. Similarly, Chennai Super Kings were 54 without loss at the end of six overs of Power Play but Kumble used his resources well to restrict the opposition to 146 for five in 20 overs.

Also, pause a moment to look at how they drew the best from hitherto unknown names like Tirumalasetty Suman, Harmeet Singh and Ryan Harris in Gilchrist's case and Manish Pandey or B Akhil or Vinay Kumar in Kumble's case. To my mind, their success lay in their ability to instill confidence in these players

Above all, Gilchrist and Kumble have been in the forefront of performers for their teams – and thus put themselves in a position from which they could encourage and demand that others rally around them, even when they have courted the odd failure themeselves. With 495 runs and 17 wickets respectively, Gilchrist and Kumble have been their teams' most valuable players.

At iplt20.com, we have had fun bringing together stories - news and views - both in text and video forms from South Africa. The BCCI and IPL team members were of immense support to us. The late nights turned in by dozens of my colleagues in the content and technical teams, not to speak of our management, have all been worth it. The weariness from lack of sleep vanishes in a jiffy when we are told that there have been six million page views every day.

Of course, I have not forgotten there is one game left before the winner of DLF IPL 2009. Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore will strain their every sinew to achieve the crown but I know you have been a true winner already. You have made IPL such a grand event with your participation. And now, fasten your seat belts. Enjoy the end of a wonderful edge-of-the-seat, heart-n-your-mouth ride.