Delhi Capitals posted a sensational 203/4 batting first, and the primary WPL trophy appeared inside their grasps. However Smriti Mandhana and Royal Challengers Bengaluru had different concepts, scripting a sensational chase to clinch their second title.
Even fourth time isn’t the appeal for Delhi Capitals. Jemimah Rodrigues had unimaginable luck with the coin toss proper by way of the event, however it didn’t go her means on the evening of the ultimate. By no means thoughts although, after being requested to bat first, an excellent collective effort took DC to 203/4. The best whole in a WPL closing, and so they’d have thought this was their 12 months in any case. However because it turned out, it was ‘Ee Sala Cup Namdu’ as soon as extra for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Smriti Mandhana’s sensational 87 and Georgia Voll’s equally essential 79 outweighed Rodrigues’ elegant 57 as RCB clinched their second WPL title whereas DC completed runners-up for the fourth time in 4 wins.
Sensational Smriti
Until the tip of 5 overs in RCB’s run-chase, Mandhana had confronted simply 5 deliveries. It didn’t imply her facet was off to a sluggish begin, as a result of Grace Harris briefly after which Voll had saved their foot on the gasoline. Mandhana had hit a wonderful straight drive for 4 early to point out she was in good contact, however it was solely within the final over of the powerplay that she made her presence felt on the ultimate. Taking up Nandani Sharma, Mandhana hit a 4 over midwicket with considerably of an unpleasant hoick after which went down on her knees to classily whip one over sq. leg – calling this a slog sweep can be disrespectful – for six. Now she was locked in and the chase appeared properly and really on, and Mandhana didn’t look again.
Smriti Mandhana was named Participant of the Match in WPL 2026 closing for her knock of 87. (PHOTO: CREIMAS FOR WPL)
She reduce Sree Charani by way of level with authority for a 4, then just a few overs later danced down the bottom to smack one over lengthy on for a six. A one-bounce 4 off Sneh Rana, inside out over further cowl, would belong within the offside batting corridor of fame; it introduced up a 23-ball half-century. Her motion within the crease threw DC bowlers off their lengths, and she or he feasted on the short-pitched presents she usually obtained on account of that footwork. Rodrigues turned to Marizanne Kapp for the fifteenth over with hopes of effecting a breakthrough, however Mandhana had different concepts in opposition to DC’s major strike weapon: two fours down the bottom.
AS IT HAPPENED | ROYAL CHALLENGERS BENGALURU VS DELHI CAPITALS WPL 2026 FINAL HIGHLIGHTS
Voll’s 79 was additionally an innings of sophistication and authority, however it was Mandhana’s knock that really stood out as RCB scripted an epic run-chase.
Letting go
Earlier than the ultimate, Rodrigues stated the important thing to her turnaround – purely from her personal batting perspective – was to cease attempting too laborious and letting it go; backing her strengths as a substitute of attempting to hit the leather-based off the ball. Which is why, the twelfth over takedown of Shreyanka Patil by Rodrigues was wonderful in its simplicity. The primary ball, with Patil bowling over the wicket, Rodrigues gave herself room, walked down the pitch, and caressed the ball by way of cowl. The ball sped throughout the turf, not due to the facility Rodrigues imparted, however the sheer timing. After enjoying out a dot ball when Patil went around the wicket, Rodrigues then used the angle to play a lofted sweep over midwicket for an additional 4. She then anticipated that the spinner would presumably shorten her size, so she waited on the backfoot and performed a sq. reduce for an additional 4 couple of deliveries later.
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Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll of Royal Challengers Bangalore throughout the WPL 2026 closing in opposition to Delhi Capitals. (PHOTO: CREIMAS for WPL)
That is the place Rodrigues is at her finest… not when attempting to muscle the ball in determined seek for large runs, however understanding the scale of the bottom and the angles accessible on the sector, and manipulating them with the precision of a surgeon. And when Radha Yadav changed Patil, Rodrigues was capable of simply swat a sq. reduce away for 4 by way of level; it didn’t matter the match-up had modified from right-arm offspin to sluggish left arm. Rodrigues hit eight fours in her 37-ball 57, every one an ideal illustration of how properly she understands her strengths. And maybe as an extension of it, her dismissal happened when she couldn’t impart sufficient energy to a full toss on her pads and holed out at deep sq. leg. An aesthetic knock, however one which was overpowered by RCB in reply.
Of boundaries and dots
In a sport the place the ball flew to and over the boundary ropes with alarming frequency, one unimaginable stat stood out. RCB hit not less than one boundary in each single over of their run-chase that went the gap. Solely on a few events, Nandani got here near seeing out a whole over with out being hit for a 4 or six, however Mandhana and Voll spoiled these. And one shot deserves a particular point out right here: with 22 off 13 balls required, and a touch of stress constructing on RCB, Mandhana squeezed a near-yorker by way of the packed offside discipline. Nandani’s jaw, fairly actually, dropped.
And on an evening when 407 runs had been scored, a particular point out for Lauren ‘dot ball’ Bell. As she has been doing all event, Bell began off the evening with a flurry of dot balls – 4 within the first over and 5 within the second – so as to add to all of the saplings she planted previous couple of weeks. She went wicketless however ended with an astonishing economic system fee of 4.75. Fittingly, her final ball of the event was a dot ball too.
Temporary scores: Delhi Capitals 203/4 (Jemimah Rodrigues 57, Laura Wolvaardt 44, Lauren Bell 0/19) misplaced to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 204/4 (Smriti Mandhana 87, Georgia Voll 79, Chinelle Henry 2/34) by 6 wickets