In a thrilling encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clinched the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 title with a resounding eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) in the final on Sunday.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, DC’s skipper Meg Lanning’s decision seemed promising as she and opening partner Shafali Verma provided a blazing start, amassing 61 runs in the powerplay overs. However, a remarkable spell by Sophie Molineux in the eighth over turned the tide in RCB’s favor, claiming three crucial wickets in the space of five balls.
Despite a strong start, DC faltered in the middle overs, losing wickets at regular intervals. RCB’s bowlers, led by Shreyanka Patil and Molineux, restricted DC to a modest total of 113 runs before bundling them out in the 19th over.
Chasing the target, RCB’s openers, Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine, started cautiously, ensuring there were no early breakthroughs for DC. Devine’s aggressive batting in the middle overs propelled RCB’s innings forward, despite the dismissal of Mandhana.
With a composed innings from Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh, RCB comfortably chased down the target with Perry finishing unbeaten on 35 runs. Ghosh struck the winning boundary, securing RCB’s first WPL title and their maiden victory over DC in five attempts.
Sophie Molineux was awarded the Player of the Match for her match-winning spell of 3/20, while Ellyse Perry claimed the Orange Cap for being the highest run-scorer in the WPL 2024 campaign. Shreyanka Patil emerged as the top wicket-taker of the season, earning the Purple Cap with 13 scalps to her name.
The final scorecard saw Delhi Capitals posting 113/10, with Shafali Verma top-scoring with 44 runs, while Royal Challengers Bangalore chased down the target, finishing at 114/2 in 17.5 overs. With this victory, RCB celebrated a historic triumph in the WPL 2024, showcasing their dominance in the tournament and etching their name in the annals of women’s cricket history.
