Katrina Kaif in a drop-dead gorgeous silver outfit danced to the hugely popular, Oscar winning tune – Jai Ho, which has become equivalent to an anthem at the IPL over the past few weeks. But it was Akon who stole the show with his Grammy winning song – Smack That. He also introduced the winner of the Miss Bollywood IPL South Africa, Dune Kossatz, to the eagerly watching crowds. And everybody joined the singing when Eddie Grant came up with a whole host of traditional African drummers and musicians, singing Gimme Hope Jo’anna.

The IPL has meant so much to everyone. At the start of the season there were apprehensions about how well South Africa will take to a tournament like this, but the response has been unprecedented. Lalit Modi, the IPL chief executive, himself is thrilled by the “huge success”: "The past five weeks have been amazing. Ticket sales for the tournament were sold at a rate never seen before for any event staged in this country," he says with a smile.

The event was also attended by South African President Jacob Zuma, who was all praise for the IPL and its organizers. It has also been a big advantage for the country: “The games have revitalized the economy, with about one billion rand (120.7 million dollars) being spent in the country in the past five weeks" Zuma is quoted saying.

The host of Bollywood stars like Preity Zinta, Shahrukh Khan and Shilpa Shetty, who attended the event, added much to the overall glamour.   

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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