In the high-stakes Captain’s Corner ahead of the WPL 2026 title clash, Delhi Capitals skipper Jemimah Rodrigues opens up about her team’s gritty resurgence, the unbreakable sisterly bond she shares with Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana, and the burning desire to finally lift the trophy on February 5, 2026, at Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium from 7:30 PM IST.
The 25-year-old Rodrigues, stepping into the captaincy hot seat after Meg Lanning’s mega-auction move to UP Warriorz for 1.90 CR, reflects on a rollercoaster season that saw Delhi Capitals finish third on the points table with 8 points from 8 league games, four wins, four losses, before storming into the final via a commanding 7-wicket Eliminator win over Gujarat Giants on February 3.
Delhi Capitals’ campaign kicked off on a sour note, with back-to-back defeats against Mumbai Indians (by 50 runs) and Gujarat Giants (by 4 runs). A morale-boosting 7-wicket victory over UP Warriorz provided the spark, but an 8-wicket thrashing by RCB in Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium tested their resolve. Yet, under Rodrigues’ steady leadership, DC scripted a stunning turnaround in Vadodara, clinching thrilling 7-wicket wins over Mumbai Indians (led by Harmanpreet Kaur) and RCB itself.
Yet again, they fell short against Gujarat Giants by a heart-wrenching margin of three runs in the league stages. They went on to seal a 5-wicket triumph over UP Warriorz in their final league outing to book Eliminator glory. Remarkably, DC remains the only team to reach the knockouts in every WPL edition, topping the table in the first three under Lanning, only to finish runners-up each time.
Skipper Jemimah Rodrigues has led from the front, amassing 207 runs at a strike rate of 138.92 and an average of 29.57 across 9 innings, including a half-century, placing her fourth among DC’s batters. Powerhouse opener Lizelle Lee tops the charts with 283 runs at 141.50 SR and 31.44 average (two fifties), making her the tournament’s fourth-highest scorer. Laura Wolvaardt (273 runs, 130.62 SR, 45.50 avg, one fifty) and Shafali Verma (239 runs, 123.19 SR, 26.55 avg, one fifty) form a formidable top order.
On the bowling front, uncapped Chandigarh pacer Nandani Sharma has been a revelation, the tournament’s second-highest wicket-taker with 16 scalps at 17.18 average and 8.08 economy, including a historic five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick against Gujarat Giants at DY Patil, becoming the first Indian uncapped bowler to achieve the feat in WPL. Shree Charani (14 wickets, 19.07 avg, 7.85 econ) and Chinelle Henry (12 wickets, 17.91 avg, 8.60 econ; plus 73 runs at 135.18 SR) provide spin and seam bite, with Marizanne Kapp chipping in 10 wickets at a miserly 6.05 economy.
What adds poetic intrigue to tonight’s summit showdown is the off-field camaraderie between Rodrigues and Mandhana, best friends with a “special sisterly kind of bond.” “Let the best team win tomorrow,” Rodrigues quipped with a smile, before adding on their playful dynamic, “But I don’t think we both are those people. On the field, yeah, we can have a bit of banter.”
Reflecting on the season’s trials, she praised her squad’s resilience: “To be honest, it wasn’t a smooth season journey for us. But extremely proud of the way the girls fought back. I think the thing that set us apart for me was the way the girls believed and got together when things didn’t go our way. I think that stood out for me.”
This final feels personal for Rodrigues, with DC chasing history against an RCB side that ended a 17-year franchise drought by winning the 2024 edition under Smriti Mandhana. (The Mumbai Indians claimed a couple of titles in 2023 and 2025 under skipper Harmanpreet Kaur). “Yeah, we’ve reached the finals four times, but this one feels different. It was not as smooth as the others, so hopefully, things will go well in the finals for us,” she said, rallying her troops with a final war cry: “One final time, Roar Macha!!!”
As the spotlight hits Kotambi Stadium, will Rodrigues turn friendship into triumph, or will Mandhana’s RCB reclaim their title? One thing’s certain: this WPL 2026 finale promises fireworks.
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