Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s WPL-winning heroes, Indian vice-captain and RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana, Shreyanka Patil, Arundhati Reddy, and Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues, lit up the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on March 28, 2026, during the IPL 2026 opener. As RCB men, led by Rajat Patidar, clinched a thrilling 6-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad under Ishan Kishan, these women’s cricket sensations shared electric reflections on returning to their fortress-like home ground.
Fresh off RCB Women’s second WPL title in the 4th edition (January 9 to February 5, 2026), they soaked in the roaring crowds, fondly recalling triumphs that ended a 17-year franchise drought, first in 2024 against Delhi Capitals, then repeating the feat against the same side in 2026.
Smriti Mandhana, the tournament’s leading run-scorer of the 4th edition with 377 runs at a strike rate of 153.25 and an average of 53.85 (including three half-centuries in nine innings), captured the electric vibe perfectly. “I mean, it feels amazing to be back at Chinnaswamy. Very happy that cricket is back at Chinnaswamy, and yeah, so many memories we’ve had as a team. So, I’m really pleased and happy to come back here.”
She highlighted the stadium’s unmatched energy: “We had two seasons of WPL here. I feel there’s a different emotion when you play at Chinnaswamy. The noise, and so I’m so happy that it’s a full house, there’s no other better sight than watching Chinnaswamy being full, and the cricket is back.”
Off-spinner Shreyanka Patil, RCB’s bowling firebrand with 11 wickets at an average of 25 and an economy of 9.01 (including a five-wicket haul in nine innings), gushed over the surreal homecoming. “Obviously, we have two stars now in WPL. We have won two trophies now. It feels surreal, after I think 200 odd days coming here in Chinnaswamy stadium opening game, nothing can be better than this.”
A die-hard RCB fan at heart, she added, “Playing in front of these lovely fans and this lovely ground. We’ve now won the WPL trophy twice, and now, just to come back, it feels like home for me. I’m a big fangirl. So I just came here as a proper fangirl.”
Arundhati Reddy, who snared two wickets at an economy of 8.77 in seven innings, embraced her RCB identity with glee. Last year, she entered as a Delhi Capitals player, but now? “It feels great to just walk in as an RCB player. You know you meet your people, you see the crowd cheering RCB, RCB, it’s a great feeling.”
The love poured in: “Everywhere I go, people actually know me more as an RCB player. I’ve never got this kind of love otherwise, but you know, just grateful and really happy that I’m part of RCB.”
Jemimah Rodrigues, in her maiden captaincy stint for Delhi Capitals, runners-up for the fourth straight WPL edition, brought infectious energy despite the rivalry. The 3rd-highest scorer for her side with 264 runs at a strike rate of 141.93 and an average of 33 (including two half-centuries in 10 innings), she joined the fun, sparking laughs over foodie rivalries and crowd chants.
Shreyanka teased, “Food for sure it’ll be Jemi or Aru, we’re playing against SRH, and I’m like [to Aru], she’s from Hyderabad, dare you tell you’re supporting SRH, you’ll be gone here in Chinnaswamy.” Arundhati chimed in on the banter: “We’re just having fun; we’re just watching spectators as just proper cricket fans.”
Smriti Mandhana’s fondest Chinnaswamy memory? Her only international wicket there, which came against Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa in June 2024, Mandhana’s fondest Chinnaswamy memory? Her only international wicket there but topping it is her first captaincy walkout: “Not able to hear the presenter speak, the crowd gave me a lot of emotion at that moment, that’s one thing which has always stayed with me.”
As India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, gears up for a white-ball series against Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa (five T20Is from April 17-27, 2026) and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales (June 12-July 5, 2026), these stars’ Chinnaswamy joy signals bigger roars ahead, blending WPL legacy with international fire.
(Quotes sourced from video posted by RCB)
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