WPL 2025: Royal Challengers Bangalore Beat Delhi Capitals by 8 Wickets

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) secured their second consecutive victory in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025 with a dominant 8-wicket win over Delhi Capitals on Monday. Led by captain Smriti Mandhana’s explosive innings, RCB equaled Mumbai Indians’ record of winning five consecutive matches.

The match, played at Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, saw Delhi Capitals post 141 runs after batting first. In response, RCB comfortably chased the target with 22 balls to spare.

Delhi Capitals’ Struggle with the Bat

RCB captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that proved to be the right call.

• Early Setback: Delhi lost Shafali Verma early.
• Strong Recovery: Meg Lanning and Jemimah Rodrigues built a 59-run partnership, providing a solid foundation.
• Rodrigues’ Contribution: She scored 34 runs, but the team struggled to maintain momentum.
• Late Boost: Sarah Bryce’s 23-run cameo in the death overs helped Delhi reach 141 runs.

RCB’s Bowling Brilliance

RCB bowlers were exceptional:

• Renuka Singh Thakur & Georgia Wareham – 3 wickets each
• Kim Garth & Ekta Bisht – 2 wickets each

Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine’s Record-Breaking Stand

Chasing 142, RCB openers Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine provided a sensational start with a 107-run opening partnership, setting a record for the highest partnership against Delhi in WPL history.

Key Batting Highlights:

• Smriti Mandhana: 81 runs off 47 balls (10 fours, 3 sixes)
• Sophie Devine: 42 runs off 33 balls (7 fours)

Arundhati Reddy finally broke the stand by dismissing Devine. However, Mandhana continued her dominant innings, taking RCB close to victory.

RCB’s Easy Finish

With RCB at 132/1 in 14 overs, needing just 11 runs in 36 balls, the chase was straightforward.

• Ellyse Perry (7) and Richa Ghosh (11)** remained unbeaten as RCB won in 16.2 overs.

Smriti Mandhana’s Red-Hot Form

Smriti Mandhana has been in sensational form in T20Is. Despite scoring just 9 runs against Gujarat Giants, she bounced back strongly:

• 324 runs in her last 6 T20Is, including four half-centuries.
• A match-winning 81 against Delhi Capitals in this game.

With this dominant victory, RCB continues to assert their dominance in WPL 2025.