The 2026 edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) concluded in Vadodara with a record-breaking, bat-dominated final, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) staged the highest successful chase in WPL history to claim their second title. Led by Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll, RCB chased down a formidable 204 against Delhi Capitals (DC), marking a day of multiple milestones and rare achievements in women’s franchise cricket.
Table of Contents
Records and Milestones
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RCB’s Second Title: RCB, who previously lifted the trophy in 2024, became only the second franchise alongside Mumbai Indians (2023, 2025) to win multiple WPL titles. Mandhana joined Harmanpreet Kaur as the only captains to secure two WPL titles.
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Franchise Hat-Trick: RCB completed a rare franchise hat-trick across the IPL and WPL, becoming the first team to simultaneously hold both titles. It was also the first instance in four seasons that the league-topping team went on to win the WPL.
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DC’s Fourth Final Loss: For Delhi Capitals, it was heartbreak yet again, finishing runners-up for the fourth successive final. They became only the second women’s franchise to lose four finals, after Brisbane Heat.
Highest Successful Chases in WPL Finals
| Target | Team | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204 | RCB | DC | Vadodara | 2026 |
| 202 | RCB | GG | Vadodara | 2025 |
| 193 | MI | GG | Navi Mumbai | 2026 |
| 191 | MI | GG | Delhi | 2024 |
| 189 | RCB | GG | Brabourne | 2023 |
The 204-run chase is the highest in WPL history and the second-highest in women’s T20 cricket overall, trailing only West Indies’ 213 against Australia in 2023. Notably, it surpassed the previous WPL final record of 200, set by Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2024 IPL final.
Batting Brilliance
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Mandhana and Voll Partnership: Their 165-run second-wicket stand set the record for the highest partnership for any wicket in WPL history and the first century partnership in a WPL final.
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Top Scores: Mandhana’s 87 off 56 balls became the highest individual score in a WPL final, with Voll’s 79 as the second-highest.
| Score | Player | Match | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 (56) | Smriti Mandhana | RCB v DC | Vadodara | 2026 |
| 79 (54) | Georgia Voll | RCB v DC | Vadodara | 2026 |
| 66 (44) | Harmanpreet Kaur | DC v MI | Brabourne | 2025 |
| 60* (55) | Nat Sciver-Brunt | DC v MI | Brabourne | 2025 |
| 57 (37) | Jemimah Rodrigues | RCB v DC | Vadodara | 2026 |
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Seasonal Feats: Mandhana finished with 377 runs at an average of 53.85, winning the Orange Cap and moving past Ellyse Perry to become RCB’s highest run-getter in WPL history. She also joined the exclusive 1000-run club, alongside Nat Sciver-Brunt, Meg Lanning, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Shafali Verma.
| Player | Team | Season | Runs | Avg | SR | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nat Sciver-Brunt | MI | 2025 | 523 | 65.37 | 152.5 | 5 |
| Smriti Mandhana | RCB | 2026 | 377 | 53.85 | 153.2 | 3 |
| Ellyse Perry | RCB | 2025 | 372 | 93.0 | 148.8 | 4 |
| Ellyse Perry | RCB | 2024 | 347 | 69.4 | 125.7 | 2 |
| Meg Lanning | DC | 2023 | 345 | 49.28 | 139.1 | 2 |
Bowling and Other Highlights
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Bowling Standouts: Sophie Devine and Nandni Sharma shared 17 wickets each, the joint second-most in a single WPL season, with Nandni setting a new benchmark for an Indian bowler.
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Match Aggregate: The final’s total of 407 runs was the highest in any women’s T20 final and the third-highest in WPL history.
RCB’s triumph in Vadodara will be remembered not just for the record-breaking chase but also for the way it reshaped the landscape of women’s franchise cricket, cementing their place at the top across both IPL and WPL competitions.
