The splendid runs of the Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore only added to the allure of the Indian Premier League.

The two teams could do nothing right last year and brought up the rear in the inaugural competition, but provided a fairy tale ending of sorts by contesting the final in this edition.

If there is any truth to the popular adage that sport is a great leveller, the IPL stands testimony to it.

Deccan Chargers' victory in Johannesburg today closed the curtain on a tournament of unbridled success, a pleasant surprise for its inventor and IPL chairman, Lalit Modi.

Only a couple of months ago, the marquee tournament of the Board of Control for Cricket in India had stood on the brink of a chasm of uncertainty, thanks to a clash of dates with general elections in India and a subsequent a security row.

However, once the decision to move the tournament to South Africa was made, Modi moved with remarkable speed and alacrity to ensure its success.

In terms of time, Modi and his crew had pulled off the near impossible, overcoming a logistical problem of gigantic proportions, convincing Cricket South Africa sceptics as well as franchisees of the teams, quickly tying up commercial aspects and securing eight venues across the country.

The tournament was pushed back a week to accommodate the change in continents, but in the end, all was achieved.

The move had cost the tournament its core constituency, the Indian public. But in South Africa it found another which rivalled Indian spectators for its enthusiasm and devotion, even if it ranked second best in terms of numbers.

Tickets for the double header on the opening day were quickly sold out and stands were barren for only one match - a rainy day in Durban early in the tournament.

Matthew Hayden summed it up nicely following the Chennai Super Kings' match against the Kings XI Punjab in Durban: "I've never played in front of a bigger crowd at Kingsmead in one-day internationals against South Africa. It shows the extent of the patronage not only for this competition, but for Twenty20 cricket in general."

The weather, which had played an important part in the tournament's move to South Africa rather than England, had threatened to throw a spanner in the works at the start. Several matches were delayed and disrupted, but only two were washed out.

On the cricketing front, the wickets in South Africa didn't quite fit the requirements of the IPL bill of being perfect belters.

Boundaries and big hits had contributed in no small measure to the success of the tournament on the subcontinent.

Coming as it did at the back end of the season when wickets tend to be slow and low, modest totals and low scores topped the menu in South Africa.

But it also made for a more thrilling contest between bat and ball. Several matches were decided in the last over - the final included - making for edge-of-the-seat viewing.

Much like the inaugural edition, the best performers of the tournaments were the bargain buys, players such as Dirk Nannes (Delhi Daredevils), Yusuf Abdulla (Kings XI Punjab), Jean-Paul Duminy (Mumbai Indians), Fidel Edwards (Deccan Chargers), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Rajasthan Royals) and Ross Taylor and Roelof van de Merwe (Royal Challengers).

England's stars, with the exception of Ravi Bopara, had failed to match pre-tournament hype. Kevin Pietersen's exit from the Royal Challengers' team had ironically paved the way for their success.

Flintoff's failure would hurt

The Super Kings breathed a sigh of relief when injury to Andrew Flintoff, the costliest player in the tournament along with Pietersen, made his brief yet expensive stay even shorter.

Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah never even got a look in.

While several international players appealed, the teams which made the semi-finals eventually got there on the back of strong performances from their unheralded domestic players.

But orange cap winner Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble had struck blows for the old guard, suggesting age was just a number.

KKR shining

Performance was all that counted. And unsurprisingly, the Kolkata Knight Riders, who managed just three wins from 14 matches, kept the spotlight firmly focused on themselves from start to finish.

If at first it was John Buchanan's mad-cap theory of multiple captains which had caused a flutter, throughout the tournament it was a mystery blogger.

Writing under the pseudonym Fake IPL Player, the blogger had fuelled interest and debate with his supposed exposes from the team dressing room.

In the end, it was only fitting that in a tournament of big moves, and sizzling entertainment, FIP provided the mystery element to a gripping script, keeping his identity secret to the end.