Royal Challengers Bengaluru achieved the largest successful chase in the Women’s Premier League to clinch a second title in the Indian franchise-based Twenty20 league on Thursday and condemned Delhi Capitals to their fourth consecutive loss in finals.
Put in to bat, Delhi reached a daunting total of 203-4 but Bengaluru overcame the target at Vadodara thanks to a 165-run second-wicket stand between captain Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll.
Needing eight off the last four balls, Radha Yadav struck two straight boundaries to finish the chase with six wickets in hand, as Bengaluru won its second WPL title after winning 2024.
“We did feel it was a good wicket to bat on but then 200-plus in the final is obviously going to be a very good total… Voll showed the way. She was on the spot where she had to be,” said Mandhana, in praise of her Australian teammate.”
Delhi openers Shefali Verma and Lizelle Lee had raced to 49 runs in six overs before captain Jemimah Rodrigues (57) and Laura Wolvaardt (44 off 25) added 76 for the third wicket.
Wolvaardt and an unbeaten Chinelle Henry (35 off 15) combined to add 49 in the final three overs to take Delhi past the 200-run mark for only the second time this season, despite a disciplined effort from Lauren Bell, who gave away just 19 in her four overs.
Bengaluru, who had to beat their own record of longest successful chase from last year — 202 against Gujarat Giants — lost opener Grace Harris early but Voll, at three, struck six fours in the space of the next three overs to set off the chase.
Mandhana was soon hammering three sixes in her 87 from only 41 balls and Voll added 79 off 54 before she, too fell – to Minnu Mani – as Bengaluru whittled away at the target, getting within 27 of their desired summit with three overs remaining.
Delhi, who have featured in every final of the WPL so far in its four-year history, tried to stage a fightback in the 19th over when Henry (2-34) bowled Mandhana and then had Yadav top-edge her next ball just behind extra cover but Mani spilled the chance.
Yadav did not make any mistake in scoring the winning run of the last over.
Rodrigues said she was “really proud” of her team’s efforts to make a fourth straight final, only for the season to finish in another heartbreaker.
“It was not an easy deed upon our part, but type of character that our girls just showed towards us to even get here to the finals, that’s something that I’m so proud and no more could have asked,” she said.