DC vs RCB, WPL 2024 Final Highlights: RCB win first title, Ellyse Perry and Shreyanka Patil star in eight wickets win at Kotla

Deepti Sharma, UP Warriorz: I showed my potential in this tournament. Kept belief in myself to play the shots. Before this season, I had done a lot of drills and developed my off-side game as well. Got a chance to bat up the order this season, and was able to do well thankfully. Wasn't able to bat well in the first season. Feels good.

Sophie Molineux: Was a great match. Finals are always funny games. Delhi Capitals were a great team throughout the season. Preetty happy to get over the line. Felt I was bowling slow tonight. Had been bowling quick throughout the tournament - took the learnings from it. To be taken on by RCB after not playing cricket for a while was pretty special. To be a part of it was really cool.

Renuka Singh Thakur: Goosebumps moment, 1st trophy for us and I'm sure the fans are elated. The entire RCB fans supported us throughout, the team bonding was excellent as well. We just wanted to play simple cricket and didn't put too much pressure on ourselves. We didn't have any target in mind, they scored a lot of runs in the batting PP, but we told ourselves we just needed one wicket to get back into the contest.

Richa Ghosh - I was a bit nervous, but Perry calmed down and told me to go for my shots if the ball was there to be hit. It felt like a long time (between the Eliminator and the final), but we had prepared a lot and worked hard. By god's grace, we won. We just wanted to bowl wicket-to-wicket, a couple of wickets and we knew we could chase the score down. The game does get close when the target is low, you can't relax one bit.

Sobhana Asha: From the first day of the camp we have been manifesting it, we have done it. Not finding many words. Picked up mate from the Aussies. The last match I said the same, to give me the ball and I'm happy. We were very comfortable with Luke and that really helped us.

Shreyanka Patil: [on her and Asha being called spin twins] You can call us like that, we don't mind. We did really work hard, we did have a camp before we played the season. It was amazing to get in touch with everyone and we had amazing team bonding sessions, drama and dance. They keep saying "ee sala cup namde" and we got it. That's it guys, it is for the fans. Day in and day out we put our hard work and we manifested, win the game and we did it. We felt like family, we did not know Luke much, last game we won against Mumbai, he had tears, we are looking forward to continuing this. [on asking Perry and Luke to dance] We are not going to leave them, they have to dance.

Ekta Bisht: When I was interviewed at the start of the tournament, I was asked what record would be set for this season, I said that RCB would end up on top. WE played well in the Eliminator, that gave us a lot of confidence going into the final, the feeling in the entire unit was very positive.

Georgia Wareham: The way Smriti was going about it, Soph [Molineux] did an unbelievable job, even today, she changed the game, we were looking at chasing 200 but she changed it. It has been unbelievable, the likes of Shreyanka the way she has improved every game and Asha as well. The confidence she has and it is something to learn off.

Sophie Devine: It's still not great but did the job and really stoked for the whole group. We had the parts last year and it was about putting them together. Outstanding from the management. Smriti was outstanding, she was calm and learnt on the go. And when you have Ellyse Perry in your team, it's just brilliant. To see how many people are there and to support them for RCB is special. We have the best fans in the world as we have seen with the men's team. Stoked to bring home the trophy in front of all these fans.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: Meg Lanning in tears near the dugout, a hand towel covering her face. That is a tough, tough break for DC. Arguably the two best squads over two seasons but no title to show for it

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: 'The first goal was to not talk about the goal,' the RCB captain had said, echoing the Fight Club. Smriti Mandhana and Co have achieved their goal. A long wait is over for RCB fans. A title finally! Ee sala, the cup is finally theirs after all. What a turnaround for them. It's been a rollercoaster.

Last over of the season, or is it? Arundhati Reddy with the ball. Richa Ghosh on the strike. First up, a length ball, swing hard on the on side. Just the single. Ellyse Perry is content with it. She wants to close this. And she almost does, but her shot is cut down at wide long off. Three needed off four balls. Meg Lanning is having a long word with her bowler. Can they salvage something out of here? No they can't! Richa Ghosh finishes it, goes over the infield on the off side, a boundary down extra cover and RCB are champions! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR HISTORY!

Alice Capsey into her third over. And look who's found another boundary for RCB, their player of the tournament in our opinion. Ellyse Perry with another pull shot, this time deep from the confines of her crease. There's an LBW review taken by the Capitals, but it's more a desperate last throw of the dice than a genuine appeal for a wicket. It goes into the last over. Five runs needed off the last six balls.

Jess Jonassen returns from the other end. Ellyse Perry takes her down with another boundary. Slightly short again and Perry meets it with a pull for four runs. 100 up for RCB and they are on the verge here.

Richa Ghosh calms some nerves down with her first boundary. Minnu Mani with a slightly short of a length delivery, punched through the off side for four. Nine runs from the 17th over, and RCB are pretty much the favorites again. 

Alice Capsey into her second over. And just like that, the onus falls back on RCB to stay on track to 114. A good over to follow up on Minnu Mani's wicket, as Richa Ghosh joins Ellyse Perry in the middle. Just the four runs off the 16th over, and the last ball was a total nerve wrecker as Richa Ghosh gets a thick leading edge but it falls safe.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: Ellyse Perry will finish the season as the Orange Cap holder as she overtakes Meg Lanning on the leading runscorers chart. A very well deserved achievement, she has been a rock for RCB.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: Smriti Mandhana won't hit the winning runs for RCB. It was a patient knock from the captain. MI needed 20 off 18 balls a few days and lost their way after the captain was dismissed. 

RCB now need 32 off 30 balls with their captain dismissed, surely not again?

Minnu Mani into her first over. She's taken the pace off and put a halt on the boundaries but more importantly, there's a wicket to be celebrated. Smriti Mandhana mistimes a slog and is caught at mid on. RCB lose a second wicket. Is there another, very familiar twist in the tale again?

Left-arm orthodox introduced into fray by Meg Lanning as Jess Jonassen comes into bowl her first over. Perry punishes her for a tossed up delivery on the offside by carving it over the infield for four. RCB add another seven runs to their total.

Ellyse Perry breaks the shackles at last. Arundhati Reddy has to bear the brunt of a long drought for a boundary. Short of a length delivery, pitched at the stumps, and the Australian star all-rounder opens up her stance to pull it through the mid wicket region for four. 

Smriti Mandhana follows suit to close the over with a crispy cut shot behind square on the off side for four. 11 runs from the over.

Okay, something has got to give in here. RCB's run rate has taken a big hit since the fall of Sophie Devine. They still have nine wickets in hand, why not go for it? Shikha Pandey has been at them since the start of her spell, and she wraps it by conceding only 11 runs and claiming the sole wicket. Two runs come from her latest over.

Marizanne Kapp to close her spell. Just as good a moment as any Meg Lanning would've had to do so with the momentum in her side's favor as we move into the final 10 overs of the summit clash. And the South African makes the most of it, keeping her economy under five at the end of a four over spell that saw her concede three boundaries. Smriti Mandhana has been patient from the start, taking her time as Devine took the bowlers to the cleaners. What's interesting is the start Ellyse Perry has had in her innings. Four runs off 11 deliveries so far. Can she take the offensive role or will the skipper amp up the pace from here? Three runs from the 11th over.

Arundhati Reddy into the attack. Ellyse Perry is the new batter in. What an impact she's had this season for RCB! Can she close the tournament for them? A slow and composed start from the experienced campaigner. Just the three runs off the tenth over. 

A wicket at last for the Capitals. And it's Sophie Devine, who was looking so assured in her execution. After a flurry of boundaries at the other side of the powerplay, RCB's Kiwi veteran is entrapped with a leg before wicket dismissal by Delhi's best bowler on the night so far. A review doesn't help her case as the impact has her plumb in front of the middle and the leg stump. Fifty up for RCB, but they still have a fair bit of ground to cover before the celebrations. 

Mandhana takes a hint from Devine. Back of a length delivery, the southpaw hangs deep in her crease and punches it along the ground for her second boundary. RCB on the offensive as six runs come from the eighth over.

Well, well, well. You only needed to lift those field restrictions for Sophie Devine to amp up her game. The Kiwi veteran has had a rather poor WPL 2024, by her lofty standards, up until tonight. Won't be something the RCB fans will hold against her if she can close this one for them. And for now, she does look on her way to. Radha Yadav in her first over is picked apart. A tossed up delivery drifting down the leg stump is swept fine for four. A delivery later, a fuller delivery on the middle and leg meets the same fate, with an even more intense shots. Then, the biggest of them all. Tossed up outside the off stump, launched down the ground with ease for six. And to wrap the over with  a bow tie, a pull through mid wicket for four. 18 runs from the over and Meg Lanning is forced into taking a strategic time out.

Kapp into her third over. And another boundary comes off it for RCB. A length ball straying too far down the leg side and Sophie Devine does well to direct it down fine leg for four. End of the powerplay, and Delhi have actually earned a good shot with the field restrictions lifted now. Just for reference, Delhi were 61/0 at this stage - well back when this looked like a different final.

Shikha Pandey continues to hold the fort from one end. Her second over, costing just the two runs. This may not be as straightforward a chase as one would've thought by the looks of this start for RCB. Even though they haven't lost the wickets upfront, it is worth noting that Delhi's pacers haven't leaked as many boundaries as their RCB counterparts did. And the spinners, have a fair share of overs left to bowl. Might be fair to bring them in sooner rather than later?

Kapp into her second over. Mandhana finds her first boundary. Back of a length delivery, plenty of width on offer and enough time at her hands, the Indian opener doesn't miss on those opportunities. Splits the field on the off side to collect the second four of the innings for RCB. Seven from the over.

Shikha Pandey replaces Marizanne Kapp from the other end. It's been a good start from the Delhi bowlers so far barring the fullish-wide delivery from Marizanne Kapp that got deservedly punished for a boundary. Pandey's first over costs just the three runs. 

As expected, spin comes into fray rather early. Alice Capsey to roll her arms from the other end. RCB not in a hurry as DC were in the powerplay and rightly so. Just the three runs off the second over. 

RCB kickstart the chase. It's Marizanne Kapp who has been entrusted with the first over by Meg Lanning, as she has all through this season. Smriti Mandhana gets the first run on the board but its Sophie Devine, who finds the first boundary of the innings. A wide outswinger and the Kiwi throws a slap at it through the point region for four. 

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: Another 25 runs even, could have meant DC's strong bowling unit stood a chance. 114 just feels too little on the board for RCB to chase down. But early wickets from Kapp or a few strikes from Jonassen or Radha (all with 10 wickets at least this season), and perhaps there is a chance. A small chance.

Shreyanka Patil: I really enjoyed bowling in the middle. They got a really good start. We kept saying it was matter of one wicket. And when it fell, we said okay another one. We kept fighting till the end. Enjoyed each and every moment so far. There is something in the wicket. I'm a different beast when there's some turn. Playing against MI, I just got a little hairline fracture (on left hand). I missed two matches unfortunately, but credit to physios to put me back on the field. When I saw her, it was amazing to watch her bowl in the nets only (talking about Molineux).

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: Shreyanka Patil. Purple Cap. And after a less than a ideal start to the season and missing a couple of matches due to a hairline fracture. What a star India have on their hands.

DC are all out!

Shreyanka Patil wraps things up for RCB with two wickets off two deliveries in the 19th over. She claims four wickets in the final. And what a turn of events it's been for DC. From 61/0 in the powerplay to 113 all out. RCB need 114 runs to win the final and clinch their maiden title. Delhi, need quite the show with the ball to introduce a twist in the tale.

Sophie Molineux into her last over. What a final she's had. It was her second over that brought RCB back into the game. And she's wrapped up her outing this innings with bowling figures of 4-0-20-3.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: As of 8:30 pm, the count at the Arun Jaitley Stadium is 28,781. Mighty impressive.

Nah, it's all gone downhill since that powerplay for Delhi. Another mix up in the middle as Radha Yadav sends back Arundhati Reddy back to the non-striker's end. Sophie Molineux is on her toes and finds the direct hit to make DC pay. Meg Lanning with a wry smile as she sees it all unfold from the dugout. Having had all that success at winning the silverware, ths must be quite the alien feeling for her. It just doesn't seem to be their night. 

Something to cheer in the Delhi dugout. Georgia Wareham into her third over. Back-to-back boundaries for Radha Yadav: a slider angled down the leg side that's inside edged on its way down fine leg and a low full toss hammered past bowler. 100 up for Delhi. They still have four overs, how far do you think they can get from here?

Another one bites the dust, another shot that'll be questioned in the post-mortem. 

Minnu Mani, who'd put an end to that boundary drought, goes with an attempted sweep shot off a delivery that's angled in on the stumps by Shreyanka Patil and pays the price for it. LBW out and Delhi are seven down at Kotla. "They are falling like ninepins here," bemoans Ravi Shastri on the comms. 

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: Shreyanka Patil, Sophie Molineux, Asha Sobhana brought RCB to the final with three sensational overs against MI in the Eliminator. The three spinners have once again stepped up for RCB, breaking the back of DC's batting. Three for Sophie, one for Shreyanka and now two for Asha. What a collapse from DC!

It keeps getting worse for the Capitals. A gung-ho heave from Marizanne Kapp off Asha Sobhana and Sophie Devine runs in from long on to claim that one. No timing whatsoever on that shot. Delhi have been rather poor in their execution off spin and RCB's troika, who pulled them back into the game against MI the other night are having a field day against the league's table toppers. 

Jess Jonnasen is quick to follow her South African teammate on the way back to the dressing room as captain Smriti Mandhana takes the catch. Minnu Mani finds a first boundary for DC since the powerplay but is it too late for them?

The boundary drought continues for Delhi. They'd collected as many as eight in the powerplay off the bat of Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning, but there's been none since the last 43 deliveries. Georgia Wareham's second over costs just the two runs. Oh how quickly things have changed in the final!

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: Shreyanka Patil does it again! For the 2nd straight match between DC and RCB the Indian offspinner gets the HUGE wicket of Meg Lanning. In the previous match, she was LBW with Patil bowling round the wicket. This time, a proper offspinner's dismissal from over the wicket. RCB's spinners have turned this!

Asha Sobhana is into the attack. It's the spinners who've got them wickets and RCB are continuing with them to keep the momentum in their favor. Jess Jonassen is the new batter in. But Marizanne Kapp, who's been in the middle for a couple overs now goes for a wild heave over the off side, only to find a thick edge. Lucky for her, there's no slip stationed behind. Surprising really given the state of the play. Two runs from the over.

Shreyanka Patil strikes!

LBW shout against Meg Lanning and the umpire raises the finger. The Delhi Capitals skipper goes upstairs. UltraEdge confirms there's no bat involved. That could've been the only thing to have saved her as the ball is pitching in line and the impact is right down the middle. A huge blow to the home side. 

Molineux continues from the other end. Marizanne Kapp hasn't had a go at the ball yet, Meg Lanning is also not intent on trying her luck, not at this stage anyways. Just the three runs from Molineux's third. We're at the halfway stage, and well, 10 minutes ago you couldn't have predicted this would be the score.

Shreyanka Patil into the attack after what was the most fruitful over of the game for RCB. The run rate has definitely taken a hit at the other side of the powerplay. But if any two batters can calmly ride the ship through this storm, it's these two. Four runs from the over.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: WOW! Actually, W-o-W-W. There we go, RCB are back in the match after a fantastic powerplay for DC! Sophie Molineux with three wickets in four balls as Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues fall, followed by Alice Capsey. The RCB faithful are making themselves heard. The match has swung big time!

Sophie Molineux returns for a second over and RCB finally have the breakthrough they so desperately needed in this final. 

Shafali Verma goes for a slog sweep over deep mid wicket but is caught by Georgia Wareham at the boundary. She departs for 44. Just as Delhi were recovering from the blow, Jemimah Rodrigues is beaten by the Aussie spinner and it's another wicket for RCB. Two wickets from the over. Hang on, there's another. What is going on at Kotla!

Alice Capsey plays a clumsy lap shot and is cleaned up. It's three wickets in four balls and Wareham is on a hattrick. Delhi have completely went off the rails in that over. Thankfully, Marizanne Kapp denies RCB another. But speak of a comeback in the final. 

Right, that'll restore some calm in the RCB ranks. Georgia Wareham into her first over, manages to push the run rate down a tad at the other side of the powerplay. Just the three runs from that over.

Another change in the bowling for RCB but the boundaries keep coming for Delhi. Even the mishits are good enough for four runs. Length ball on the off side and Shafali Verma was intent on getting it over the infield, and even having mistimed on the contact, she does just that with a lofted shot over covers. Later in the over, a short of a length offering is dealt with by a roll of the wrists and a swivel-pull from Meg Lanning for four. End of the batting powerplay, and it's been all Delhi so far.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: The Shafali Show is lighting up the Arun Jaitley Stadium. She typically offers a chance early on in her innings, but so far this has been flawless aggression from the DC opener. The straight sixes have been a standout feature for her this season and she shows it off against Ellyse Perry no less.

Ellyse Perry continues from the other end. A THIRD SIX FOR SHAFALI VERMA!

What clean hitting this from the Delhi opener! A good length delivery and Shafali opens up her stance to clobber it straight over Perry's head for six. A delivery later, she puts her calmer self on display, opening the face of the bat to pickpocket four runs behind square on the off side. Fifty partnership up between the Delhi openers, how many times they've done this, but this may be their most crucial one after all.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: While the RCB fans did seem to outnumber DC at the start, it is worth noting that the "home" support is by no means quiet. Huge roars as Shafali Verma nailed two straight sixes and Meg Lanning played a signature square cut for four.

A change of ends for Renuka Singh Thakur. And Shafali Verma welcomes her with a top stand-and-deliver maximum straight down the ground. That's a second of the evening for her. Ominous signs for the RCB. Keeper Richa Ghosh has stationed herself up to the stumps and Meg Lanning wants to join in on the fun. An uppish shot over the infield on the off side down extra cover for four. The DC captain hadn't middled it but it had enough on it to claim four. She wraps things up with a customary cut shot, waiting until the final moment to squeeze it wide of the fielder at backward point, making it 19 off the over. 

Change in bowling as Ellyse Perry replaces Renuka Singh Thakur after just the one over. Meg Lanning flashes an exquisitely sliced shot down backward point but the fielder's in position to cut it out for just the one. RCB will be wary of the former Australian skipper's strong offside play and have almost teased her early in the game to go about it. Next ball catches a faint outside edge but Shreyanka Patil at first slip has been stationed further back and it doesn't carry to her. A conservative field stationed to avoid a boundary. Good over from Perry, just the three runs off it. 

Spin introduced from the other end. Sophie Molineux into her first over, and she's immediately up to mixing things. A tossed up delivery followed by a slider, a flighted and then a flatter one. But Shafali Verma decides 10 deliveries is too much of a wait for a first boundary and takes the aerial route to clear the long on boundary. 10 runs from the over. 

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: A big smile eventually between Lanning and Shafali, that could have actually been a nightmare start as there is a big mixup. Not the best of throw by Shreyanka. And to be honest, that was Lanning's mistake, was ball-watching while Shafali ran for the danger end.

Renuka dishes a fuller one wide outside the off stump and it's an extra that gets the scoreboard ticking for Delhi. But the next ball has them clenching their teeth as skipper Meg Lanning survives an early run out. A huge mix up with Shafali Verma but the throw at the bowler, and the one that followed to the stumps took too much time to capitalise on the miscommunication. The two openers, most successful in the WPL history, have a word. An early sign of the nerves catching up on the big occasion. Another extra conceded in the over. 

The national anthem is played out, all the formalities are out of the way, and the Delhi openers Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning walk into the middle. Renuka Singh Thakur has the new ball. Time for the butterflies to disappear, aye. We've got a 23,000 plus crowd chanting the countdown, Renuka to Lanning for the first ball.

Pre match announcement: The attendance as of the start of the match is 23,190. The number is bound to increase as well. Loud cheers at the end of the national anthem and it's a cracking atmosphere already.

Vinayakk Mohanarangan, from Kotla: With DC's batting strength, the match's first powerplay could well be the most decisive one. Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning are by some distance the best partnership in the WPL across two seasons and if they get off to a good start, RCB will be left with a lot of catching up. RCB's problem has also been a lack of wickets from their pacers (until Ellyse Perry bowled that dream spell against MI). Renuka has once again struggled quite badly this season, despite early good signs. It will be once again down to Perry and spinners.