The long-awaited happy ending for Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) will have to wait for another season as they once again hit the hearts of the Jemimah Rodrigues-led team as they slumped to their fourth straight defeat in the WPL final. Despite a formidable first innings batting and the highest total recorded in a WPL final – 203/4 – Delhi were left dismayed as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) made history to clinch their second title.
What followed was a breathtaking chase led by captain Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Volla who charged into the Delhi bowling attack and broke the record books on the biggest stage. The pair launched a relentless attack and recorded the highest successful chase in WPL history. Their monumental partnership of 165 runs for the second wicket, stitched together in just 92 balls, became the highest partnership in the history of the tournament and proved decisive in the final.
RCB’s chase did not start without drama. Riding high on confidence after her performances with the bat, Chinelle Henry continued her golden touch with the ball by striking early. In her very first over, she removed Grace Harris for 9 balls off 7, momentarily turning the tide in Delhi’s direction. However, this early breakthrough proved to be little more than a brief lull in RCB’s lead.
WPL 2026 Final: DC vs RCB Update
From that point on, it was mostly one-way traffic. Mandhana and Voll showed no signs of nervousness or hesitation and discussed field settings and bowling plans with remarkable calmness. Mandhana was elegance personified, finding gaps at will with a wide array of strokes, while Voll complemented her perfectly, pounding the ball with raw power and fearless intent as her bat seemed to spew fire.
Earlier, Delhi captain Jemimah Rodrigues looked determined to add the coveted WPL title to her name. Going into bat with DC at 72/2 in 7.3 overs, she immediately made her intentions known, stroking her first boundary through Radha Yadav’s covers. The captain’s knock followed, full of purpose, urgency and emotion.
Chinelle Henry fireworks propel DC to 203
Rodrigues stepped on the accelerator early, smothering a boundary with remarkable ease and putting bowlers Nadine de Klerk and Shreyanka Patil under intense pressure. She forged a crucial 76-run partnership for the third wicket with Laura Wolvaardt, who played a supporting role as Delhi’s captain. Rodrigues brought up her second half-century of the season off just 32 balls, but her dismissal for 57 off 37 balls – caught at deep square leg – proved to be the turning point.
RCB breathed a brief sigh of relief after seeing the back of the DC skipper but the respite was short-lived as Chinelle Henry strode out with threat written all over it with four overs to spare. Henry started cautiously, managing just 4 runs off the first 6 balls, but what followed was nothing short of explosive.
In the penultimate over, Henry unleashed absolute carnage on Nadine de Klerk, smashing five consecutive boundaries to plunder 24 runs and ensure the seamer did not depart with respectable figures. Her incredible 35 off just 15 deliveries combined with Wolvaardt’s composed 44 off 25 balls led Delhi to a formidable 203/4 – the highest total ever posted in a WPL final. The pair added a quick 54 runs for the fourth wicket from just 24 balls which gave Delhi belief and hope.
Yet on a night destined for history, it was RCB who held their nerve and turned heartbreak into triumph, while Delhi were left to rethink how close – and yet how far – they are from lifting the elusive WPL trophy.
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Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
February 5, 2026
