RCB vs DC, WPL 2026 Final Highlights: Royal Challengers Bengaluru lift second WPL title after beating Delhi Capitals by six wickets

Agony for Delhi Capitals, ecstasy for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. DC are now four-time unlucky finalists, having lost all four WPL finals after reaching the summit clash in every season since the league's inception.

After setting a record-high target of 204 batting first, Delhi would have felt they had one hand on the cup. But then came a counter-attack of the highest order from RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll, who scored boundaries in every over. Their 165-run stand, the highest partnership for any wicket in WPL history, took their team to the brink of victory.

Delhi instilled some life into the chase with three quick wickets, those of Mandhana, Voll, and Richa Ghosh, but Radha Yadav steered the Bengaluru side home.

Chinelle Henry to bowl the penultimate over. FOUR! Crucial runs here. RCB are within touching distance now. OUT! Smriti Mandhana OUT! Would you believe it? Big twist in the game! What a turnover. Three wickets in three overs and DC are suddenly alive. 8 from the over, 10 needed off last 10.

Smriti b Chinelle Henry 87(41)

RCB: 194/4 in 19 overs; Need 10 runs from 6 runs

Okay, last four over remains. Can we see something weird, something unprecedented? A mother of all comebacks? Minnu Mani is with her second over. FOUR! Mandhana is in no mood to allow DC any comeback here. Gets a boundary off the first delivery after lofting the full ball over mid-off. OUT! And DC get a wicket. It's Georgia Voll, who holes out to Shafali Verma at long-on. Verma is livid even after completing the catch. She vents out her frustration by throwing the ball to the ground. The highest partnership for any wicket in WPL has been broken. It was worth 165 runs.

For DC, a couple more wickets can still change the game. DC need to hold their shape. Richa Ghosh is the new batter. Three more singles make it an 8-run over.

Georgia Voll c Shafali Verma b Minnu Mani 79(54)

DC: 177/2 in 17 overs; Need 27 off 18

41 runs have come from the last three overs. It's almost done and dusted for Delhi as Bengaluru have completely stamped their authority. Misfields, poor lines, it's all going haywire for the Girls in Blue. 150 up for RCB.

RCB: 150/1 in 14 overs; Need 54 runs from 36 balls

Voll gets a single, which takes her to her half-century after Mandhana smokes Sree Charani for a SIX over long-on. Delhi facing the heat.

Shafali Verma in attack now. Can she repeat her World Cup final performance with the ball tonight? Delhi are in dire need of something special from Verma. Four singles from the first four deliveries before Mandhana plays a late cut to get herself a FOUR! off the fifth ball. Nine from this over as well.

RCB: 80/1 in 8 overs

First change in the bowling attack. Nandinin Sharma replaces Chinelle Henry. Georgia Voll hits a boundary before Mandhana gets into the act. She brings out a slogsweep for a big six, deep over deep backward square. 16 from Nandini's first over as RCB cross 50-mark inside Powerplay in the chase of 204. Game on!

RCB: 59/1 in 6 overs

Voll is making sure RCB do not suffer after an early wicket. After slamming a couple of boundaries off Kapp, she attacks Chinelle Henry in her second over, getting TWO MORE FOURS in this over. Her audacious scoop behind the keeper was certainly the shot of the innings thus far.

RCB: 34/1 in 4 overs

Chinelle Henry from the other end. Harris has the strike. OUT! Would you believe it? Henry, you superstar! First with the bat and now with the ball, she is bossing the world for DC tonight. What a dream start for her. Length ball in the middle, Harris, while looking to play it square, ends up cramping herself and is cleaned up by Henry. Not a start RCB would have fancied. Georgia Voll is in at No. 3. She is off the mark straightaway with a single. Mandhana gets a two but via byes, so no run for her. FOUR! This time off the bat and sweet timing gets her off the mark with a boundary. A successful over comes to an end for Henry.

RCB: 17/1 in 2 overs

All set for the chase. RCB need something special to come close to DC's total. They have the right players to do the job. Skipper Smriti Mandhana and in-form Grace Harris to open. Marizanne Kapp to start for DC.

Okay, so we are onto the final over of the innings. This is already the highest total ever made in a WPL final. Sayali Satghare to bowl the last over. A WIDE to start things off. Sayali makes a nice recovery. Targets the yorker length to give two singles off the next two deliveries. SIX! Wow, Henry! Length delivery, outside off, Henry gets under the line and slams it over long-off for a gigantic maximum. She darts one in to give a single off the following delivery. FOUR! Wolvaardt gets a boundary this time. Brings up 200 for Delhi in the final! This has been batting of the highest order from Delhi. RUN OUT! Wolvaardt sacrifices her wicket for a second run but what an innings this has been from DC. 15 from the last over. RCB need a record chase if they need their second title.

DC: 203/4 in 20 overs

Now, Arundhati Reddy is with her last over. A single for Wolvaardt to start the over. Henry misses to capitalise of a loosener full-toss from Reddy as all she manages is just a single. Reddy is also using the pace-off deliveries to perfection to give just four runs from the five deliveries. SIX! Wolvaardt spoils the over. She tonks this one over deep mid-wicket for a maximum to end the over. 10 from this one.

DC: 164/3 in 18 overs

Sayali Satghare returns to the attack. FOUR! Poor line from Satghare, fires one wide of leg side and it gives time to Rodrigues, who just stays low and sweeps it fine for a boundary at short fine leg. A single to follow. Wolvaardt returns the strike to Jemimah. OUT! Breakthrough for RCB! A much-needed one too, as set-batter Jemimah departs. Sayali breaks a big partnership as DC skipper holes out to Nadine de Klerk at deep backward square leg. Time for a drinks break.

Jemimah Rodrigues c Nadine de Klerk b Sayali Satghare 57(37)

DC: 148/3 in 16 overs

Radha Yadav with her second over. FOUR! Jemimah moves to the 40s in a flash. Her timing against the spinners has been wonderful tonight and she is playing a captain's knock here in Kotambi. Cuts the short ball through point this time. 50 partnership up for the third wicket as well. 9 from the over.

DC: 129/2 in 14 overs

Change of ends for Shreyanka Patil. FOUR! Jemimah Rodrigues starts the over with a boundary. She drives through the cover for this one. FOUR! Too full and Patil is punished appropriately by Jemimah this time. She brings out the slog sweep to find another boundary at deep mid-wicket this time. FOUR! Short this time and Jemi rocks back and nails the cut shot this time. 13 from this over.

DC: 112/2 in 12 overs

Nadine de Klerk again. FOUR! Exquisite shot. Length ball away from the right-hander and Rodrigues gets enough room to drive between extra cover and mid-off. FOUR! Fuller this time, Rodrigues gets low, and a sweep bat sends the ball away at the deep extra cover fence through the ground. 11 off this over, Delhi in quite a comfortable position to go for a 180+ total here.

DC: 94/2 in 10 overs

Nadine de Klerk replaces Arundhati Reddy from the attack. She straightaway finds Lee's legs in front, and it's given OUT. Lee instantly reviews it and saves herself as the ball was missing the wickets. OUT! Lee fails to survive this time. Her slog finds Grace Harris and RCB get the breather they were looking for. Jemimah Rodrigues is in at No. 4. Just from NDK's first over.

Lizelle Lee c Grace Harris b Nadine de Klerk 37(30)

DC: 74/2 in 8 overs

And expectedly, Arundhati Reddy has been brought into the attack as a first-change bowler to replace Sayali Satghare. Verma starts with a powerful flick down the ground towards long-on, and only a full-stretched dive from Grace Harris could stop this one from running away towards the fence. Verma gets a two on this occasion. FOUR! Verma joins the party after Lee. A floating full-toss from Reddy and Verma uses her wrist to whip it through square leg for a boundary. FOUR MORE! This is turning out to be a good start from DC batters on the final night. Width on offer for Verma, and she finds the gap through the point this time. OUT! RCB gets their first breakthrough! Reddy is pumped up and she displays it with a loud roar. Bang in short from Reddy and Verma falls this time while looking to pull above her shoulder. Laura Wolvaardt comes in at No. 3. FOUR! What a way to get off the mark and end the over. Full-length ball and she flicks it beautifully at deep mid-wicket, taking DC past 50 in PowerPlay.

Shafali Verma c Richa Ghosh b Arundhati Reddy 20(13)

DC: 53/1 in 6 overs

Satghare with her second over. SIX! Lee looks to compensate for the dots she played in the last over, and she starts this over with a big shot. Satghare overcooks it, Lee smokes it over wide long-off to begin with a maximum. SIX MORE! Lee is getting in her act now. Five dots in the previous over and now two back-to-back sixes in this one. Length ball this time from Satghare and Lee gets into the position to pull away with all her power as it clears the deep mid-wicket over a diving fielder. FIVE WIDES! Satghare is under pressure now. She fires one down the leg past Richa Ghosh as it races towards the fence for five easy runs. Satghare surprises Verma with a bounce,r and there is a stumping opportunity as well. It has been sent upstairs, but the third umpire clears Verma this time. 20 runs from this over.

DC: 29/0 in 4 overs

Sayali Satghare, the usual second new ball bowler, comes from the other end. Lee brings out the sweep to get a single at short fine leg off the first delivery. She gets back into the strike after Verma takes a single off the next one. Satghare is looking in good shape. She follows it up with three dots by targeting the yorker length. All Lee manages is a single off the last delivery to make it a 3-run over.

DC: 8/0 in 2 overs

Delhi Capitals openers Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma are in the middle. Lauren Bell is all ready to start the proceedings with the new ball.

Bollywood actor Malaika Arora performing at the closing ceremony of WPL 2026 final.

Credit: CREIMAS FOR WPL

Smriti Mandhana: We'd like to field first today. Of course, it's been a trend in the tournament, but having said that, on a good wicket, it's always good to know what you're going to chase. We're playing with the same XI what we played in the last match. (On the break and playing the final) It's been brilliant, I feel. First 2-3 days, we all had a good time off. We didn't think a lot about cricket. And of course, in the last two or three days, we came back together, practised hard. And again, there's nice nerves, nice anxiousness, and nice excitement. And I feel you all have to embrace it. And we've all had a chat about it. And don't run away from it, just embrace it. (Different preparations for the final?) Well, I'm not sure that it's different. What's worked for us is keeping things as simple as we can. And I think nothing changes for us today as well. Everyone had that calm energy today. But of course, the excitement level is high. And for sure, I mean, we know that we have to turn up and play our best cricket.

Jemimah Rodrigues: It's better to lose the toss in such big games. We are going with the same team. We've kept it very simple, kept our plans simple. We played the Eliminator here, so we know what it's going to be like.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the toss and elected to bowl first against Delhi Capitals in the final.

Jemimah Rodrigues: "This year was a lot more hard work. But I think the way the girls stuck together stood out for me. Especially when things don't go your way, it's very easy for a team to scatter. But I think this team actually came together and those losses actually helped us bond a lot more and be a lot more together and come out of it."

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Predicted Playing XI: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana(c), Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh(w), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith, Dayalan Hemalatha, Prathyoosha Kumar, Gautami Naik, Prema Rawat.

Delhi Capitals: Lizelle Lee(w), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues(c), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma, Alana King, Taniya Bhatia, Lucy Hamilton, Pragati Singh, Eddla Srujana.

Hello and welcome to The Indian Express's LIVE coverage of the Women's Premier League!

It's finally the culmination of WPL 2026. After 20 league games and an Eliminator, we have Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals left in the fray for the WPL season 4 trophy, eager to pounce on each other in the ultimate title clash.

The final at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara will see history being made as Jemimah Rodrigues' Delhi Capitals chase their maiden WPL title, whereas Smriti Mandhana-led Royal Challengers Bengaluru eye their second crown after their 2024 triumph.

Stay tuned as we bring you all the live updates from this summit clash straight from Kotambi!