Smriti special eclipses Jemi's gem: Mandhana’s 87 powers RCB to record 204 chase, second WPL glory

Smriti Mandhana delivered another memorable performace to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru chase down a daunting 204-run target against Delhi Capitals and lift their second WPL trophy in Vadodara on Thursday night.

This is the fourth time Capitals have lost a WPL final in the five-season history of the league.Chasing the highest target in WPL history, captain Smriti and Georgia Voll turned up in beast mode. Smriti’s belligerent 87 off 41 deflated the Capitals attack up front in the chase. Joining forces in the second over, Smriti and Georgia went berserk, with the latter scoring 79 off 54 balls.

From the fifth over, the run rate never dipped below nine as they dismantled the Capitals’ attack with a 165-run stand off 92 balls. Smriti’s marauding innings overshadowed her best friend and counterpart Jemimah Rodrigues’ classy 57 off 37 earlier in the night.Finding the fence at will, the duo was in a zone that defied scoreboard pressure. Even as Minnu Mani broke the stand by dismissing Georgia in the 17th over, RCB remained in the driver’s seat, requiring 27 from 18 balls.The chase turned tense only in the 18th over when Nandani Sharma sent new batter Richa Ghosh packing, leaving 18 runs to get from 12 balls. That pressure further built when captain Smriti was removed by Chinelle Henry with 13 still needed off the last eight balls.

However, Radha Yadav (12 not out off 5) held her nerve, smashing a back-to-back boundaries through extra-cover to cross the finish line.Earlier, Delhi Capitals captain Jemimah Rodrigues showcased class and nerves of steel, scoring a fine half-century to propel her team to 203/4. However, all of that eventually came to a naught with Smriti’s counterpunch.Jemimah meant business from the word go when she joined Laura Wolvaardt in the middle at 72/2 in the eighth over.

Their 76-run partnership was broken by Sayali Satghare in the 16th over as the Capitals’ skipper swept a full toss straight to Nadine de Klerk at deep backward square-leg.From there, Wolvaardt (44; 25b; 3x4; 2x6) and Chinelle Henry (35*; 15b; 4x4; 2x6) took charge, forging a 54-run stand off 24 balls. They saw off dangerous Lauren Bell in the 17th over with calmness, but exploded in the final three overs, hammering 49 runs to dent RCB’s ego.Apart from Bell’s spell (4-0-19-0), RCB’s frontline bowlers were put to the sword by Capitals batters. The rest leaked runs, each conceding at an economy rate of above 10 runs per over.204 - RCB’s score of 204/4 is the highest successful chase in WPL, bettering their own score of 202/4 vs Gujarat Giants in Vadodara on Feb 14, 2025. 87 - Smriti Mandhana set a record for the highest individual score in WPL final.57 - Jemimah Rodrigues has become the first batter from DC to post a fifty in the final of the WPL and third overall to hit a half-century in the league’s title clash.