Royal Challengers Bengaluru produced a commanding performance to lift their second Women’s Premier League title, defeating Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the final at Vadodara on Thursday.
Led by an exceptional captain’s knock from Smriti Mandhana and a brilliant supporting innings from Georgia Voll, RCB chased down a challenging target of 204 with two balls to spare, joining Mumbai Indians as the most successful teams in the history of the league.
Mandhana was in sublime form, scoring a majestic 87 off just 41 deliveries, while Voll played the perfect foil with a fluent 79 from 54 balls. The duo stitched together a record-breaking 165-run partnership for the second wicket, which completely swung the contest in RCB’s favour.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals posted an imposing total of 203 for four after being asked to bat first. Captain Jemimah Rodrigues led the charge with a classy 57 off 37 balls, while Chinelle Henry provided late fireworks with a rapid 35 from just 15 deliveries. Laura Wolvaardt remained unbeaten on 44 from 25 balls, and Lizelle Lee contributed a brisk 37 off 30 balls to ensure a strong finish.
RCB’s chase began with an early setback as Grace Harris departed cheaply, but Mandhana and Voll quickly steadied the innings. They scored freely against both pace and spin, punishing anything overpitched and pulling short deliveries with authority. RCB reached 100 at the halfway stage, needing 104 runs from the final 10 overs.
Mandhana brought up her half-century in just 23 balls, hammering Sneh Rana for a boundary after already striking two sixes in the over. Voll matched her aggression, finding gaps with ease and clearing the ropes when required.
The pair continued to dominate as RCB surged to 150 in 14 overs, reducing the equation to 54 runs from 36 balls. Voll’s dismissal to Minnu Mani briefly raised Delhi’s hopes, but RCB held their nerve in the closing overs to seal a memorable victory.
Earlier in the match, RCB bowlers began tightly, conceding just nine runs in the first three overs. However, a costly fourth over from Sayali Satghare allowed Delhi to regain momentum, with Lee smashing consecutive sixes. Shafali Verma was later dismissed by Arundhati Reddy, while Nadine de Klerk removed the dangerous Lee to halt Delhi’s progress.
Despite a strong partnership between Rodrigues and Wolvaardt, RCB managed to restrict further damage and executed their chase with composure to clinch the title in a repeat of the 2024 final.
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