Delhi Capitals once again find themselves on familiar yet uneasy ground as they step into their fourth consecutive Women’s Premier League final. Consistency has never been an issue for the Capitals, but the absence of silverware continues to loom large, with heartbreak marking each of their previous three final appearances. The pressure to finally break that cycle will be significant, especially given that chances like these are never guaranteed.
The road to yet another final has been anything but smooth. DC lost three of their first four matches, suffered two identical, gut-wrenching defeats at the hands of Sophie Devine right at the death, and nearly stumbled again in a must-win league encounter before scraping through to the Eliminator. In the knockout, however, they produced a near-perfect display to avenge those earlier losses against the Giants. Now, they must regroup and lift themselves once more, playing their third high-stakes game in the space of five days, reports Live Cricket Score.
Awaiting them are the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a side that knows exactly how to clear the final hurdle. Having already lifted the WPL trophy once—ironically against the same opposition—RCB arrive with a calmer relationship with the occasion, even if the weight of expectation that comes with their massive fanbase remains ever-present. Despite missing star all-rounder Ellyse Perry, RCB put together a near-flawless league campaign, winning their first five matches. A minor stumble was quickly followed by a comprehensive dismantling of UP Warriorz to close out the league stage, leaving confidence in the RCB camp sky high.
While RCB enjoyed a smoother route by qualifying directly for the final, history has been far less forgiving for DC, who were in the same position in each of the last three seasons—only to fall at the final step every time. When RCB lifted the title in 2024, they did so while carrying the burden of a long-standing men’s team hoodoo, one that was eventually laid to rest the following year. Delhi Capitals, still searching for their first title across both men’s and women’s teams, will hope this final can mark a similar turning point.
Match Details
When: February 5, 2026, at 7:30 PM IST
Where: BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara
What to expect
The Vadodara surfaces have generally produced middling totals compared to the high-scoring venues in Navi Mumbai. DC have enjoyed a better record here this season than RCB and will hope that familiarity works in their favour. Spinners are once again expected to play a decisive role.
Team News
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Pooja Vastrakar returned to the XI in RCB’s final league match after a long injury layoff. While she wasn’t required to bowl or bat in that game, RCB may persist with her as a specialist finisher in the final.
Probable XI:
Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Radha Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Sayali Satghare, Shreyanka Patil, Lauren Bell
Delhi Capitals
Riding the momentum from their Eliminator win, DC are expected to stick with the same XI that delivered under pressure.
Probable XI:
Lizelle Lee (wk), Shafali Verma, Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani, Nandani Sharma
Did you know?
- Only once has a target of more than 160 been successfully chased in Vadodara so far.
- Grace Harris is striking at 180.95 this season, while Smriti Mandhana is just 10 runs shy of 300 for the campaign. However, Marizanne Kapp has dismissed the pair a combined 13 times in T20 cricket.
What they said
I’m thrilled everyone got that break and enjoyed time together before coming back fresh. Ahead of a final, sitting around doing nothing can lead to overthinking, so that break really helped us. RCB taking us to Goa was great.
— Smriti Mandhana, RCB captain, on the break before the final
This year involved a lot more hard work. What stood out to me was how the girls stuck together. When things don’t go your way, it’s easy for a team to fall apart, but these losses actually helped us bond more and come out stronger.
— Jemimah Rodrigues, DC captain, on her side’s tougher route to the final
