The world of cricket descended on Vadodara on Thursday as the grand finale Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 opened between Delhi Capitals (DC) Women and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Women. In a high-profile encounter where nerves often dictated the game, the Capitals produced a batting maestro to post an impressive 203/4 in 20 overs. While the collective effort was clinical, the spotlight shone brighter on the DC skipper RodroguePlaying the captain’s shot that secured his place in the WPL history books with his Indian teammate. Harmanpreet Kaur.
WPL 2026 final: Jemimah Rodrigues joins exclusive club with Harmanpreet Kaur with fierce batting
Rodrigues produced a performance of centuries, hitting 57 off just 37 balls. In addition to providing the foundation for the Capitals’ pitching, this knock saw him enter an exclusive statistical club. Rodrigues has now become one of the few players to score a half-century in a WPL final, joining Harmanpreet and Nat Sciver-Brunt.
The list of 50+ points in WPL finals is short and authoritative:
- Harmanpreet Kaur (66 off 44) vs DC, 2025
- Nat Sciver-Brunt (60 off 55) vs DC, 2023
- Rodrogue (57 off 37) RCB, 2026 vs
Rodrigues’ shots were characterized by precision and intent. Reaching his fifty in just 32 deliveries, he hit eight boundaries and pierced the gaps with surgical precision. when fired by Sayali Satghare In the 16th over, he shifted the momentum decisively in Delhi’s favor and proved once again why he is considered one of the most reliable big-match players in the format.
Delhi Capitals dominate as RCB struggle to maintain attack in WPL 2026 Final
After the RCB captaincy Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to field, the Capitals opener set the tone immediately. Lizelle Lee (37) and explosive Shafali Verma (20) raced to a 49-run opening stand in the first six overs. Despite losing Verma in the last ball of the power play, the Capitals never let their run rate drop.
Middle plus belonged to the partnership between Rodrigues and Laura Volwardt. Wolvaardt played a selfless role, scoring 44 off 25 balls, including a flurry of boundaries that kept the RCB bowlers under constant pressure. The pair added 76 runs for the third wicket to take the score from a steady 72/2 to 148/3.
The real fireworks were intended for the death shots. After Rodriguez’s departure Chinelle Henry He launched a relentless attack on the Bengaluru attack. Henry remained unbeaten on 35 off just 15 balls and scored an incredible 233.33. His cameo, aided by Wolvaardt’s late innings spurt, saw DC score 63 runs in the last five overs.
The bowling numbers for RCB made for tough reading. while Lauren Bell remained disciplined (0/19 in 4), while others faced the brunt of the DC batsmen. Satghare and Nadine de Klerk took wickets but conceded 46 and 48 runs respectively. With a win probability of 78.22% at the innings break, Delhi Capitals go into the second half full steam ahead, leaving RCB with a mountain of 204 to climb in pursuit of the title.
Also READ: WPL 2026: RCB’s road to the final under Smriti Mandhana
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
