They say cometh the hour, cometh the captain, and Smriti Mandhana delivered a captain’s knock as Royal Challengers Bangalore lifted their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title with a thrilling grandstand finish.
Mandhana smashed a breathtaking 87 off just 41 balls, hammering 12 fours and three sixes at a staggering strike rate of 212.20 to guide RCB to the title. Her match-winning performance earned her the Player of the Match award.
Speaking after the final, Mandhana praised the team’s collective effort and highlighted key contributions from Lauren Bell and Georgia Voll. “I feel RCB fans are the best fans in the world. To win two titles in four years is amazing. We felt 204 was a good score on a big ground. In the last four overs, we bowled well and pulled it back. Credit to Lauren Bell — 40 overs in the matc,h and she goes for just 20. To me, that’s a match-winning spell,” she said.
Mandhana also reserved special praise for Voll, who led the chase from the front. “Volly had the strike almost throughout the power play. I had told the girls she would play a match-winning knock in the final,” she added.
She concluded by lauding the support staff and the team’s work ethic, saying the players’ dedication in training had built the confidence to chase any target.
