RCB Wins Toss, Chooses to Bowl First Against DC in WPL 2026 Final

Vadodara:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the toss and elected to bowl first in the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara. Captain Smriti Mandhana noted that they have made no changes to the playing XI and are backing the same for their second final. Jemimah Rodrigues, too, was happy to bat first, even though she later claimed that the team would have chosen to bowl first if they had won the toss. She noted that losing the toss in a final could be a blessing in disguise as Delhi now have the opportunity to post a total on the board and put Bengaluru under pressure in the second innings. In the second innings, they will depend heavily on the likes of Nandini Sharma and N Charani, who have been spectacular with the ball in the ongoing season. 

Notably, RCB won their first five games of the season, which cemented their spot in the playoffs but the call for the final was awaiting as they suffered back-to-back defeats to Delhi and Mumbai Indians. However, with a win over UP Warriorz in their final league game. The side has played some phenomenal cricket so far, with multiple batters rising to the occasion from time to time. When it comes to the bowling unit, Lauren Bell has been a force to reckon with. She has claimed 12 wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 5.62, which is extraordinary given that the England international has bowled mostly in the powerplay.

When it comes to Delhi Capitals, they have had a topsy-turvy season, winning four out of eight matches to qualify for the Eliminator. In the knockout game, they defeated Gujarat Giants by seven wickets to make it to their fourth straight final. In the previous three editions of the WPL, DC earned a direct qualification for the summit clash, finishing at the top of the points table, but this time around, they had to play the Eliminator. 

Meanwhile, despite playing three finals already, the Jemimah Rodrigues-led is yet to win the trophy. They suffered a defeat to Mumbai Indians in the finals of 2023 and 2025 and to Bengaluru in 2024. However, in each edition, the team winning the Eliminator has gone on to win the WPL trophy and it will be interesting to see if the Capitals can manage to repeat that and win their maiden title or RCB become the second team after Mumbai to win the title twice. 

 

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