On a record-breaking night in Vadodara, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched their second TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) title, defeating Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets.

Chasing a monumental target of 204—the highest ever set in a WPL final—RCB recorded the highest successful run chase in WPL history, headlined by a masterclass from captain Smriti Mandhana and young sensation Georgia Voll.

RCB thus became the second team (after Mumbai Indians) to win two WPL titles, triumphantly ending a season in which they were utterly dominant for the most part.

Opting to bat first, DC posted an imposing 203/4, the highest first-innings total in a WPL final. DC’s innings was built on a solid foundation by Shafali Verma (20) and Lizelle Lee (37) as the duo put on 49 runs for the opening wicket inside the powerplay. After RCB struck back with quick wickets of both openers, through Arundhati Reddy and Nadine de Klerk, captain Jemimah Rodrigues took charge.

She scored a fluent 57 off 37 balls, including eight boundaries, in a crucial 76-run partnership with Laura Wolvaardt.

The South African player provided stability to the innings with her knock of 44(25). DC were already in a strong position at 148/3 with four overs to go at the fall of Jemimah’s wicket. But Chinelle Henry unleashed an explosive cameo, smashing 35* off just 15 deliveries during a fiery 55-run partnership with Wolvaardt to propel DC to 203/4 after their 20 overs.

RCB’s chase began under pressure after Grace Harris (9) fell early to Henry in the second over. However, what followed was a record-shattering 165-run partnership for the second wicket between Mandhana and Voll.

Battling a severe flu and high fever the previous night, captain Mandhana produced one of the greatest knocks in the tournament’s history on the night of the final. The duo of Voll and Mandhana took RCB to 100/1 at the halfway mark, then brought up their respective fifties off consecutive overs.

Mandhana blazed her way to 87 off 41 balls, securing the Orange Cap as the season’s leading run-scorer (377 runs) and ultimately earning the Player of the Match award. At the other end, Voll was equally clinical, compiling a composed 79 off 54 balls that effectively took the game away from Delhi.

Despite being in control at 165/1, RCB faced a late scare as they lost three wickets in quick succession, including both set batters. With 10 runs needed off the final over bowled by Shree Charani, the tension reached a fever pitch. Radha Yadav emerged as the star of the final moments, showing nerves of steel to hit back-to-back boundaries.

The winning runs were scored with two deliveries to spare, sparking wild celebrations as RCB became the first team to win the TATA WPL after finishing the league stage as table-toppers.

Season Award Winners:

Orange Cap: Smriti Mandhana (377 runs)

Purple Cap: Sophie Devine (17 wickets)

Most Valuable Player of the Season: Sophie Devine

Emerging Player of the Season: Nandni Sharma