WPL Final | Capitals suffer tragic collapse as spinners run-riot to hand RCB first-ever title in 17 years

Shafali Varma and Meg Lanning got Delhi Capitals off to a flier in the final after the latter won the toss and opted to bat first, with the duo setting the tone as they had throughout the tournament. While the skipper was content picking up the occasional boundary and keeping the scoreboard ticking, Shafali went hard at every single opportunity to smash three maximums in the powerplay and make the scoreboard read a daunting 61/0. Desperate for a breakthrough, Smriti Mandhana called upon Sophie Molineux in the eighth over and the decision reaped dividends beyond the wildest imaginations. The Australian had Shafali holed out at midwicket first up as the opener went searching for a big slog, then sneaked the Kookaburra underneath Jemimah Rodrigues' sweep two balls later, and made it a triple blow by crashing into Alice Capsey's stumps after the English woman opted for a paddle shot. The scoring rates plummeted consequently with the tables suddenly flipped in Bangalore's favour and Shreyanka Patil capitalized to trap Lanning LBW soon after the midway mark of the innings. The Capitals simply crumbled thereon as Asha Shobhana struck twice in one ever to eventually end up with three scalps while Patil mopped up the tail to bowl out the hosts for 113.

RCB's opening duo of Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine got off to a much sedate start in response and trickled along to 25/0 by the end of the fielding restrictions. However, the lull was banished by the Kiwi pouncing upon the introduction of Radha Yadav into the attack to send three balls to the fence and one beyond in the seventh over, fetching 18 runs from it. Even though Shikha Pandey eventually got rid of Devine shortly after, it only brought the in-form Ellyse Perry onto the crease. The Orange Cap winner patiently built her innings to whittle down half of the required runs alongside Smriti (31 off 39) when the skipper skied one with 32 runs still to get and five overs to go. A few nervy moments followed, but Perry and Richa Ghosh kept their composure to see the team through to the chequered flag with three balls to spare and hand the Bangalore outfit their maiden piece of silverware.

Ellyse Perry didn’t expect that pic.twitter.com/AwUa3rgEt5

— cricket videos (@RizwanStum60450) March 17, 2024

😭😭 https://t.co/NwPojbwzaT pic.twitter.com/AVPT6DYjNl

— 🧑🏻‍🦯 𝐁𝐌𝐂𝐌𝐎𝐧𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥𝟏𝟎 (@murdockdrive) March 17, 2024

1st one

#WPLFinal

RCB women 🗿 RCB Men 🤡 pic.twitter.com/azQdzzsEcp

— theboysthing_ (@Theboysthing) March 17, 2024

Cup is RCBs

What chokli didn’t achieve in 16 seasons, smriti achieved it in 2 seasons.



Congratulations RCB women.#WPLFinal #RCBvsDC pic.twitter.com/klAqqryD94

— ` (@WorshipDhoni) March 17, 2024

True

This was the moment which changed RCB women cricket forever pic.twitter.com/W7oPSLyPZW

— ` (@chixxsays) March 17, 2024