RCB W vs DC W | Smriti and Voll power RCB to highest successful chase as silverware continues to elude Capitals

Venkateswaran N

ByVenkateswaran N,SportsCafe Editor

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the final of the WPL 2026 campaign in Vadodara on Thursday. Skipper Smriti Mandhana led from the front with a blistering half-century with Georgia Voll supporting her well with a fifty as RCB chased down 204 with two balls to spare.

RCB's Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll during their rollicking stand against Delhi Capitals in the WPL final in Vadodara.
‌Delhi Capitals will have to wait for another year to end their wretched run in the finals of the Women’s Premier League as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru subjected them to their fourth straight loss in summit clashes with a six-wicket win in Vadodara on Thursday. Skipper Smriti Mandhana stood tall with a swashbuckling knock of 87 off 41 balls, which included 12 fours and three sixes, to power the side to their highest successful chase in the WPL, en route to their second title. Meanwhile Georgia Voll also chipped in with a 54-ball 79 (14 fours), while adding 165 runs with Mandhana to bat the Capitals out of the game.

After being put in at the Kotambi Stadium, Delhi Capitals’ openers had a quiet start as the RCB new ball duo of Lauren Bell and Sayali Satghare kept it accurate and tight. However, Lizelle Lee broke the shackles with consecutive sixes in the first two balls of Satghare’s second over. Soon, Lizelle’s younger partner Shafali Verma also joined the act with two boundaries to welcome Arundhati Reddy into the attack. Though the Delhi batter was dismissed in the same over, the Capitals finished the powerplay at an impressive 53/1. But the wicketkeeper-batter continued unabated, despite captain Smriti Mandhana introducing spin after the field spread, tonking 15 off the 19 runs that came in Shreyanka Patil’s first over. However, Nadine de Klerk continued to put her golden arm to good use ending Lizelle’s (37) dangerous-looking knock in just her third ball of the day. But that turned out to be a temporary respite as captain Jemimah hit the ground running with six boundaries coming in her first 19 balls, with the side also going past 100 in the 11th over. She brought up her fifty in 32 balls, while Laura Wolvaardt also joined the party with a flat six over square leg as the Capitals sat pretty at 140/2 at the end of the 15th over. Though the Delhi skipper got out in the next over after scoring 57 in 37 balls, which included eight fours, Chinelle Henry smoked 35 off 15 balls, including three fours and a six in the penultimate over from De Klerk, to help the Capitals plunder 49 runs in the their last three overs. Meanwhile, Wolvaardt was dismissed off the last ball, for a 25-ball 44, while trying to take an extra run as the innings ended at 203/4.

Grace Harris began the chase in her usual aggressive fashion with boundaries off Marizanne Kapp before Henry went through the batter’s defence to uproot the middle stump with her first ball. However, Voll  took over quickly with two fours each in the next three overs off both pacers before Smriti counter attacked Nandani Sharma with a four and a six to end the poerplay at 59/1. The pair continued to find boundaries with ease, sending the Capitals bowlers on a leather-chasing spree to reach the three-figure mark at the halfway stage. There was no respite whatsoever for the bowlers as Voll completed her half-century first, in the next over, while Smriti followed it up with a sumptuous inside out lofted drive over cover to reach fifty in just 23 balls. The pair, who also completed their 100-run partnership, showed no signs of slowing down tonking 53 runs between overs 11 and 15. Though RCB showed signs of nerves losing Voll, Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana in three overs, Radha Yadav and De Klerk took the side home, reaching 204/4 with two balls to spare.

Champions!

Nop!

RCB!

Again!

Defending champions!

WPL champions!

Delhi loss!

Well  played!

Captain smriti!

What a knock!

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