Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper Smriti Mandhana, ahead of the WPL 2026 final, stood 64 runs away from becoming the fifth player and the 3rd Indian to reach 1,000 runs in WPL history, a remarkable feat for the elegant 29-year-old left-handed opener.
She entered the 1,000 WPL runs club in a high-stakes record run-chase of 204, against the Jemimah Rodrigues-led Delhi Capitals on 5th February 2026, at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara. She got there en route to their historic highest-ever stand worth 165 runs alongside Georgia Voll (79 off 54 balls) for the 2nd wicket. Smriti Mandhana’s classy knock of 87 (41 balls) included 12 boundaries and 3 maximums, scoring at a strike rate of 212.2.
She played an instrumental role as RCB clinched their 2nd WPL title with a dominant 6-wicket win. The Delhi Capitals ended up as the runners-up of the tournament for the 4th consecutive time in the history of the WPL. Smriti Mandhana became only the 2nd captain after Harmanpreet Kaur from the Mumbai Indians (in the previous edition) to be named as the Player of the Match in the final.
She clinched the orange cap, finishing the season with 377 runs at a strike rate of 153.25 and an average of 53.85 in 9 innings. Her tally of runs included three half-centuries in 9 matches with the bat for her side.
She became only the 5th player to have crossed the 1,000-run mark in WPL history: Nat Sciver-Brunt of Mumbai Indians (achieved last season), Harmanpreet Kaur of Mumbai Indians, Meg Lanning of UP Warriorz, and Shafali Verma from Delhi Capitals, achieving it in the 4th season. Mandhana’s pursuit added intrigue, etching her as the next Indian icon to add her name to this young tournament’s record books.
Smriti Mandhana debuted for RCB on March 5, 2023, in the inaugural WPL edition, captaining the franchise from the outset. In 35 matches since, she has notched seven half-centuries, making her the leading run-scorer for RCB in the competition, with 1,023 runs at a strike rate of 136.76 and an average of 31 in 35 innings. She is placed 5th on the list of all-time leading run-scorers in the WPL.
She also led her side to their maiden WPL title in the 2nd edition of the tournament in 2024. It was also the first-ever title triumph in their 17-year franchise history. Her leadership has propelled the team to a dominant run in the league stages, topping the table with 12 points from 8 games, including four wins and as many defeats in the league stages. As a result, securing a direct spot in the final of the 4th edition of the tournament.
Mandhana’s standout innings came on January 17, 2026, against Delhi Capitals at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, where she smashed 96 off 61 balls, 13 boundaries and three sixes, chasing 167 alongside Grace Harris. RCB clinched an eight-wicket victory with 10 balls remaining, earning her Player of the Match honours. This near-century kept the tournament awaiting, until Mumbai’s Nat Sciver-Brunt etched her name into the history books as the first-ever WPL centurion on 26th January 2026, in Vadodara.
As she achieves the remarkable landmark, she extends RCB’s dominance and solidifies her legacy as WPL’s next run-machine. Fans witnessed a double delight, worth every penny spent for watching the elegant left-hander not just deliver another batting masterclass in the record run chase but also lead her side to their 2nd WPL title, joining the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur-led Mumbai Indians with 2 WPL titles in four seasons so far. RCB also broke the 3-season jinx of a side finishing at the top of the table in the league stage, not winning the WPL title.
