In a chase that had Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans on the edge of their seats, skipper Smriti Mandhana unleashed her WPL-best 96 off 61 balls, laced with 13 boundaries and 3 sixes, to propel RCB to an emphatic 8-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals on January 17, 2026, at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
This blistering knock in pursuit of 167, after bundling out DC for 166 in 20 overs, sealed RCB’s fourth straight win in the fourth edition of the Women’s Premier League, extending their lead atop the points table with 8 points from four games. Mandhana’s masterclass earned her Player of the Match honours, though the tournament still awaits its first centurion, leaving fans dreaming of what might have been had she converted that 90s heartbreak into three figures.
RCB won the toss and wisely opted to bowl first in what was the final match of the Navi Mumbai leg. Delhi Capitals, led by Jemimah Rodrigues, started on a horrible note as they were reduced to 10/4 in the 2nd over of the innings. The opening batter, Shafali Verma (62 off 41 balls), was the lone warrior with the bat alongside Sneh Rana (22 off 22 balls), Niki Prasad (12 off 12 balls), and Lucy Hamilton (36 off 19 balls) on her WPL debut, providing the finishing touches as the Delhi Capitals ended up with a fighting total of 166.
It was the second game of the day’s double-header, and Mandhana’s side made light work of the target, romping home with 10 balls to spare. As the WPL caravan now shifts to Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara from January 19, RCB’s unbeaten streak feels like a statement of intent from the table-toppers.
Mandhana’s innings was a skipper’s symphony, elegant drives piercing gaps, ferocious pulls sending the ball soaring, and those trademark lofts over cover for maximums. Dismissed in the 90s, joining Sophie Devine (95 off 49 balls) for Gujarat Giants against DC, she joined an elite, if frustrating, club of 90s this season.
Others have flirted closer to the landmark too: Lizelle Lee’s 86 off 54 for DC Vs Gujarat Giants, and Grace Harris’s explosive 85 off 40 for RCB against UP Warriorz. Yet Mandhana’s poise under pressure, anchoring the chase while accelerating ruthlessly at a strike rate of 157.37, underscored why she’s the heartbeat of this RCB unit.
Her form this edition is scorching: leading RCB’s run charts and sitting fifth overall with 166 runs in four innings at an average of 55.33 and a strike rate of 145.61, including a half-century. It’s her consistency that’s turning heads, after having a relatively quiet start to the season.
Historically, she’s RCB’s second-highest run-scorer in WPL annals, amassing 812 runs in 30 innings at 131.81 strike rate and an average of 28, with five half-centuries. At 29, Mandhana isn’t just chasing records; she’s rewriting RCB’s narrative from perennial competitors to title frontrunners.
This knock wasn’t just numbers; it was redemption, leadership, and a glimpse of WPL dominance. As Vadodara beckons, can Mandhana go one better and claim that elusive ton? RCB’s perfect start and a win away from qualification for the knockouts this season suggests the script is hers to author.
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