Desk
Share
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) delivered a dominant performance, cruising to an eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) with 3.4 overs to spare. The emphatic win was powered by an exceptional all-round bowling display, led by Renuka Singh Thakur and Georgia Wareham, who both claimed three wickets each to bundle out DC for 141. RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana then stole the show with a blistering 81—her highest score in the Women's Premier League (WPL)—as she, along with Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (42), forged a match-winning 107-run opening stand.
Capitals Struggle Despite a Brief Resurgence
Put in to bat due to the anticipated dew factor in the second innings, Delhi Capitals suffered a nightmare start when Shafali Verma fell for a golden duck, miscuing a drive straight to mid-off. Jemimah Rodrigues survived a close LBW call off Thakur early on, with the umpire's call saving her. Despite early movement in the air, Rodrigues and Meg Lanning managed to steady the innings, taking their time before capitalizing on loose deliveries from Thakur and Kim Garth.
The pair gained momentum with a 14-run over against Ekta Bisht, followed by another aggressive assault on debutant Joshitha VJ, racking up 15 runs. By the end of the sixth over, DC had raced to 60/1, with a threatening 50-run partnership on the board. However, just as the Capitals seemed poised for a big total, Wareham turned the tide by having Rodrigues stumped after a failed reverse-sweep. Five balls later, Lanning top-edged a pull shot off Garth, departing for 23 and leaving DC in trouble.
RCB capitalized on the breakthroughs, choking the Capitals' scoring rate as they went 22 consecutive deliveries without a boundary. Annabel Sutherland briefly broke the shackles with a slog-swept six off Bisht but fell to Thakur soon after. The returning duo of Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen failed to make an impact, further questioning the decision to drop Niki Prasad. The Capitals crumbled from 60/1 to 105/6, with Mandhana expertly rotating her bowlers to maintain relentless pressure. Sarah Bryce (23 off 19) attempted to push DC past 150 but was eventually stumped off Wareham, before Thakur and Garth polished off the tail in the 20th over.
Mandhana Leads a Flawless Chase
RCB’s response was aggressive right from the start. Mandhana capitalized on Kapp’s wayward lines, striking two early boundaries to set the tone. Alongside Wyatt-Hodge, she ensured there was no respite for DC’s bowlers, countering the early introduction of off-spin with ease. Wyatt-Hodge was particularly brutal on Shikha Pandey, smashing four boundaries in quick succession, while Mandhana launched Arundhati Reddy for a six over extra cover as RCB rocketed to 57/0 in the PowerPlay.
Boundaries continued to flow as Mandhana brought up her fastest WPL fifty off just 27 balls. Wyatt-Hodge was given a reprieve when Rodrigues dropped her but was eventually dismissed for 42, caught off a leading edge, after ensuring RCB had already crossed 100 inside 10 overs.
Fielding errors plagued DC further when Lanning and Sutherland misjudged a high catch off Ellyse Perry, allowing the ball to land harmlessly between them. Mandhana remained in charge, smashing Sutherland to the boundary before executing a perfect slog-sweep off Jonassen, reducing the equation to just 11 runs. The RCB captain fell attempting a scoop, caught at fine leg, but the job was all but done. Richa Ghosh finished proceedings in style with a four and a six, sealing a comprehensive victory for RCB and maintaining their strong start to the season.
Brief Scores:
Delhi Capitals: 141 in 19.3 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 34, Sarah Bryce 23; Renuka Singh Thakur 3-23, Georgia Wareham 3-25)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 146/2 in 16.2 overs (Smriti Mandhana 81, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge 42; Shikha Pandey 1-27)
Result: RCB won by 8 wickets.
Read More: What's New with Punjab Kings in IPL 2025?
