Punjab Newsline,Sports :
Mandhana scores 87, Georgia Voll makes 79 as RCB complete record chase in WPL final
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the Women’s Premier League (WPL) title for the second time after defeating Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets in the final on Thursday. Bengaluru had earlier lifted their maiden WPL trophy in 2024. In contrast, Delhi Capitals suffered heartbreak once again, losing their fourth consecutive WPL final.
The final was played at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, where RCB successfully chased down a challenging target of 204 runs with two balls to spare. This is the highest successful run chase in the history of WPL finals, making the victory even more memorable for the Bengaluru side.
Batting first, Delhi Capitals put up a strong total of 203 runs in their allotted 20 overs, setting a stiff challenge for RCB in a high-pressure final. With the stakes high, the chase required a special effort, and Bengaluru’s top order delivered exactly that.
Captain Smriti Mandhana once again proved her class in a big match, playing a brilliant knock of 87 runs. She showed great composure along with attacking intent, anchoring the chase from the front. Mandhana was well supported by Georgia Voll, who played a crucial innings of 79 runs. The duo stitched together a match-defining partnership of 165 runs off just 92 balls, completely shifting the momentum in RCB’s favour. Their partnership turned out to be one of the finest ever seen in a WPL final.
The match went down to the final over, with RCB needing 10 runs to win. Radha Yadav and Nadine de Klerk kept their nerves under control, taking two singles off the first two balls. On the third delivery, Radha struck a boundary to bring RCB closer to victory. On the fourth ball, she played a shot towards the covers, during which her bat hit the stumps, but the bails did not fall. The ball crossed the boundary, sealing the win for RCB.
With this dramatic finish, Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinched their second WPL title and also registered the biggest successful chase in a WPL final. For Delhi Capitals, however, the wait for their first WPL trophy continues, as they fell short yet again despite a strong performance in the summit clash.