The Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women’s team coach Malolan Rangarajan praised captain Smriti Mandhana whose 41-ball 87 performance in the final match against Delhi Capitals led the team to their second Women’s Premier League title. Mandhana played through her “massive flu” symptoms during the important match according to him.
The WPL team from Bengaluru achieved their highest successful chase in WPL history when they finished the match by reaching their 204 target within 20 overs Chasing 204.
RCB coach Malolan Rangarajan praised Smriti Mandhana’s WPL final performance which showcased her best playing abilities through her calmness and complete batting control during the match. Rangarajan revealed that Smriti Mandhana played the final despite suffering from the flu and a high fever, highlighting her commitment as she turned up without letting her illness affect the team or her performance.
“Smriti, I think, saved one of her best innings for the final. The reason why I say that is, yes, she’s been in very good form in the last 12 months or so, but the way she batted today was inhuman. The way she played showed the highest level of skill and perfect style. The way she played showed her ability to control everything about her performance. The way she batted made it seem like she was chasing a target that required 200 runs to win. The way Malolan Rangarajan explained it, she used perfect timing to strike the ball while choosing specific areas to attack.”
Smriti played this game with a massive, massive flu. She arrived to play despite her serious illness which kept her in bed with high fever. The entire team maintained their composure throughout the entire match. The person who she is represents her true self. She told me at our afternoon meeting that she would attend without any problems. Rangarajan explained her professional existence through work.
Rangarajan described Smriti Mandhana as a “nerd” about her batting, crediting her constant drive to improve for her success.
“She’s a nerd when it comes to her own batting, and I guess that’s why she’s ended up achieving what she’s achieved in life. She constantly seeks to enhance her abilities. The RCB coach explained that Smriti makes constant attempts until she achieves success which happened two days ago.
RCB won the toss and selected to bowl first during the WPL final match. Lizelle Lee (37 runs from 30 balls which included three fours and three sixes) and Shafali Verma (20 runs from 13 balls which included three fours) brought their team an excellent start. The players achieved a 76-run third wicket partnership which included a captain’s performance from Jemimah Rodrigues who scored 57 runs in 37 balls with eight fours and Laura Wolvaardt who scored 44 runs in 35 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Chinelle Henry produced a match winning performance with her 35 not out from 15 balls which included four boundaries and two sixes to help DC reach 203/4 in 20 overs the highest score in WPL final history.
The team lost Grace Harris after she scored 8 runs but Smriti and Georgia Voll already established a 165-run partnership which advanced their team’s goal through every hit they made. DC tried to regain control of the match when they took three wickets during the final overs but Radha Yadav and Nadine de Klerk successfully completed their batting chase when they needed to achieve 12 runs with six wickets remaining and two balls left to play.
The 204-run chase represents the largest run chase in WPL and IPL finals since it exceeds the 200-run chase accomplished by Kolkata Knight Riders in their 2014 IPL final match against Punjab Kings.
RCB’s chase also marks the first time that a target of above 175 has been chased down in any Women’s T20 final – leagues or internationals. The total also happens to be the most successful run chase in WPL history because RCB achieved a better result than their 202-run chase which they completed in their 2025 match against Gujarat Giants.