3 months ago
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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Smriti Mandhana led the Red and Gold franchise to the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) title, securing the Orange Cap for astir runs this season, completing 1,000 runs successful the tourney and shattering plentifulness of records.
A ascendant RCB made history, securing its 2nd WPL rubric with a six-wicket win, portion pulling disconnected the highest palmy run-chase successful a women’s T20 tourney final.
Smriti came successful clutch during the rubric clash, cracking a scintillating 41-ball 87 with 12 fours and 3 sixes astatine a onslaught complaint of implicit 212. She besides struck a 165-run concern with Aussie prima Georgia Voll, which is the highest successful WPL past for immoderate wicket.
Smriti Mandhana with Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues aft the final | Photo Credit: Vijay Soneji
She finished the play arsenic the apical run-getter, scoring 377 runs successful 9 matches astatine an mean of 53.85 and a onslaught complaint of implicit 153, with 3 fifties. This is the second-best WPL play by a batter, adjacent to Mumbai Indians (MI) prima Nat Sciver Brunt’s monstrous 2025 play with 523 runs astatine an mean of 65.38 and a onslaught complaint of implicit 152 with 5 fifties.
Fifth subordinate to implicit 1,000 WPL runs
She besides joined the stalwarts Nat-Sciver, UP Warriorz skipper Meg Lanning, MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and DC’s opener Shafali Verma arsenic the 5th subordinate to implicit 1,000 WPL runs. She has made 1,023 runs successful 35 matches astatine an mean of 31.00 and a onslaught complaint of 136.76 and 7 fifties, with champion people of 96.
Mandhana’s 23-ball 50 is the fastest half-century successful a WPL final.
She is besides the batter progressive successful astir period stands successful WPL history, with six specified partnerships, outclassing Nat Sciver Brunt.
High-scoring clash
In the final, RCB won the flip and opted to vessel first. Lizelle Lee (37 successful 30 balls, with 3 fours and 3 sixes) and Shafali Verma (20 successful 13 balls, with 3 fours) enactment their squad to a flying start. A 76-run basal for the 3rd wicket betwixt Jemimah Rodrigues, who played a captain’s sound of 57 successful 37 balls, with 8 fours and Laura Wolvaardt (44 successful 35 balls, with 3 fours and 2 sixes) brought them backmost to the game.
Just erstwhile RCB threatened to propulsion things back, Chinelle Henry (35* successful 15 balls, with 4 boundaries and 2 sixes) played a fiery cameo to powerfulness DC to 203/4 successful 20 overs, the highest successful a WPL final.
In the chase, RCB mislaid Grace Harris (8) early, but a 165-run basal betwixt Smriti (87 successful 41 balls, with 12 fours and 3 sixes) and Georgia Voll (79 successful 54 balls, with 14 fours) pierced DC’s chances with each hit. DC threatened to propulsion things backmost with 3 speedy wickets successful last fewer overs, but Radha Yadav (12*) and Nadine de Klerk (7*) chased the full with six wickets and 2 balls successful hand.
Mandhana was adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’ award. (
