WPL: Smriti, Georgia lead RCB to second title win with 6-wicket victory over DC

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) scripted a glittering chapter in Women’s Premier League history on Thursday night, storming to their second WPL title with a commanding six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara. In a final that turned into a celebration of fearless batting, RCB chased down a daunting 204 with astonishing ease, completing the highest successful run-chase ever in a WPL final with two balls to spare.

Delhi Capitals, powered by captain Jemimah Rodrigues’ fluent 57, had set the tone early to post 203 for four. But what followed was a batting masterclass of rare elegance and brutality, led by Smriti Mandhana, who played the finest innings of her WPL career. The RCB skipper dazzled with an 87 off just 41 balls, peppering the field with 12 fours and three sixes, as she anchored a chase that never truly looked in danger.

The triumph was rich in milestones. RCB became the first team to lift the WPL trophy after finishing atop the league standings and the first franchise to simultaneously hold both IPL and WPL titles. It was also a night that crowned Smriti as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, her consistency and class shining brightest on the biggest stage.

After a cautious start that yielded just six runs from her first five balls, Smriti unfurled her full repertoire, accelerating with breathtaking assurance. Almost every over brought a boundary, and Delhi’s bowlers were left searching for answers as the RCB skipper took complete control.

She found the perfect ally in Georgia Voll, who matched her stroke for stroke in a stunning 165-run partnership off just 92 balls. Voll’s sublime 79 from 54 deliveries, studded with 14 boundaries, complemented Smriti’s aggression and ensured Delhi were kept firmly on the back foot. The pair dismantled the bowling attack with surgical precision, ensuring that every over of the chase featured at least one boundary — a statistic that underlined the sheer dominance of the stand.

Even when a brief wobble threatened to add a flicker of drama — Georgia and Richa Ghosh falling in quick succession, followed by Smriti’s dismissal when Chinelle Henry uprooted her leg stump — RCB kept their composure. Radha Yadav calmly finished the job, striking successive boundaries to seal the title and spark jubilant celebrations in the dugout.

For Delhi Capitals, the defeat was particularly cruel. Playing their fourth consecutive WPL final, they once again fell agonisingly short, despite posting the highest first-innings total in a final. Jemimah had earlier led from the front, blending timing and placement to perfection in her 57, while Laura Wolvaardt’s brisk 44 and Chinelle Henry’s explosive 35 off just 15 balls propelled DC beyond the 200-run mark. Chinelle’s late assault, which yielded 55 runs in the final four overs, appeared to have given Delhi a decisive edge.

RCB’s bowling, however, struggled for control, with Lauren Bell standing out as the lone bright spot with an economical four-over spell conceding just 19 runs. Despite a brief comeback after Jemimah’s dismissal, Delhi’s hopes were reignited by Chinelle’s fireworks at the death, setting up what looked like a formidable target.

Yet, on a night that belonged to RCB’s batters, even 203 proved insufficient. Smriti and Georgia tore into the attack from the outset, unfazed by the occasion or the scoreboard pressure, turning the final into a one-sided spectacle.

As fireworks lit up the Vadodara sky, Royal Challengers Bengaluru stood tall once again — champions by dominance, style and history — while Delhi Capitals were left to reflect on another final heartbreak.

Brief scores:
Delhi Capitals 203/4 in 20 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 57, Laura Wolvaardt 44; Arundhati Reddy 1-40, Sayali Satghare 1-46) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 204/4 in 19.4 overs (Smriti Mandhana 87, Georgia Voll 79; Chinelle Henry 2-34, Minnu Mani 1-19) by six wickets.

With IANS inputs