Displaying absolute dominance, a Smriti Mandhana-inspired Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted their second Women’s Premier League title with a six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals
Displaying absolute dominance, a Smriti Mandhana-inspired Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted their second Women’s Premier League title with a six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals, who once again failed to seize the moment on the biggest stage despite playing in their fourth final, in Vadodara on Thursday. RCB captain Mandhana looked in imperious touch on her way to a magnificent 87 off 41 balls, while Georgia Voll smashed 79 off 54 deliveries during a 165-run stand for the second wicket with her skipper – a partnership that paved the way for a memorable title triumph.
This came after Delhi captain Jemimah Rodrigues rose to the occasion with a scintillating half-century and Chinelle Henry blazed away to a 15-ball 35 to lift DC to an imposing 203 for four.
Laura Wolvaardt (44 not out off 25) and Lizelle Lee (37 off 30) also scored briskly after DC were put in to bat. Rodrigues top-scored with 57 off 37 balls.
In reply, RCB completed the record chase with two balls to spare, joining Mumbai Indians as the most successful teams in the WPL. This is the highest target successfully chased in a WPL as well as Indian Premier League final.
In the stiff chase, RCB lost the big wicket of Grace Harris (9) early, but skipper Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll kept them in the contest by scoring freely and maintaining the required run rate.
Both Mandhana and Voll drove anything pitched up with ease and pulled and cut the short balls with authority as RCB reached exactly 100 at the halfway mark, requiring 104 runs off the remaining 60 balls.
Mandhana, having just struck two sixes, raced to her fifty in 23 balls with a sublime boundary off Sneh Rana.
Voll was also at her best at the other end, dispatching anything in her arc with utter disdain.
The equation came down to 54 off 36 balls after Mandhana smashed Shree Charani for two boundaries to take RCB to 150 in 14 overs.
The two continued to dominate until Voll gave her wicket away to Minnu Mani, raising DC’s hopes. However, RCB held their nerve to emerge winners.
Earlier, the Royal Challengers were on the money in the first three overs, with Lauren Bell and Sayali Satghare conceding just nine runs as Shafali Verma and Lee struggled to get enough width to free their arms.
However, the fourth over, bowled by Satghare, released the pressure as Lee clobbered a half-volley and a half-tracker for two successive sixes – one over long-off and the other over mid-wicket.
There was then an appeal for a stumping, thanks to Richa Ghosh’s sharp work, followed by Satghare failing to latch on to a tough caught-and-bowled chance – ending an eventful over that yielded 20 runs and gave the Capitals much-needed momentum after a sluggish start.
With DC reaching 36 after five overs, skipper Smriti Mandhana introduced Arundhati Reddy into the attack and Shafali immediately collected two fours. However, Reddy hit back with the wicket of Shafali, who gloved a short ball that Ghosh smartly held behind the stumps.
The classy Laura Wolvaardt began with an exquisite boundary before Lee welcomed off-spinner Shreyanka Patil into the attack with two fours and a six on the trot, lifting DC to 72 for one in seven overs.
