Delhi Capitals posted a sensational 203/4 batting first, and the first WPL trophy seemed within their grasps. But Smriti Mandhana and Royal Challengers Bengaluru had other ideas, scripting a sensational chase to clinch their second title.
Even fourth time is not the charm for . Jemimah Rodrigues had incredible luck with the coin toss right through the tournament, but it didn’t go her way on the night of the final. Never mind though, after being asked to bat first, a superb collective effort took to 203/4. The highest total in a WPL final, and they’d have thought this was their year after all. But as it turned out, it was ‘Ee Sala Cup Namdu’ once more for . Smriti Mandhana’s sensational 87 and Georgia Voll’s equally important 79 outweighed Rodrigues’ classy 57 as clinched their second WPL title while DC finished runners-up for the fourth time in four wins.
Till the end of five overs in RCB’s run-chase, Mandhana had faced just 5 deliveries. It didn’t mean her side was off to a slow start, because Grace Harris briefly and then Voll had kept their foot on the gas. Mandhana had hit a glorious straight drive for four early to show she was in good touch, but it was only in the last over of the powerplay that she made her presence felt on the final. Taking on Nandani Sharma, Mandhana hit a four over midwicket with somewhat of an ugly hoick and then went down on her knees to classily whip one over square leg – calling this a slog sweep would be disrespectful – for six. Now she was locked in and the chase seemed well and truly on, and Mandhana didn’t look back.
She cut Sree Charani through point with authority for a four, then a few overs later danced down the ground to smack one over long on for a six. A one-bounce four off Sneh Rana, inside out over extra cover, would belong in the offside batting hall of fame; it brought up a 23-ball half-century. Her movement in the crease threw DC bowlers off their lengths, and she feasted on the short-pitched gifts she often received as a result of that footwork. Rodrigues turned to Marizanne Kapp for the 15th over with hopes of effecting a breakthrough, but Mandhana had other ideas against DC’s primary strike weapon: two fours down the ground.
AS IT HAPPENED |
Voll’s 79 was also an innings of class and authority, but it was Mandhana’s knock that truly stood out as RCB scripted an epic run-chase.
Before the final, Rodrigues said the key to her turnaround – purely from her own batting perspective – was to stop trying too hard and letting it go; backing her strengths instead of trying to hit the leather off the ball. Which is why, the 12th over takedown of Shreyanka Patil by Rodrigues was glorious in its simplicity. The first ball, with Patil bowling over the wicket, Rodrigues gave herself room, walked down the pitch, and caressed the ball through cover. The ball sped across the turf, not because of the power Rodrigues imparted, but the sheer timing. After playing out a dot ball when Patil went round the wicket, Rodrigues then used the angle to play a lofted sweep over midwicket for another four. She then anticipated that the spinner would presumably shorten her length, so she waited on the backfoot and played a square cut for another four couple of deliveries later.
This is where Rodrigues is at her best… not when trying to muscle the ball in desperate search for big runs, but understanding the dimensions of the ground and the angles available on the field, and manipulating them with the precision of a surgeon. And when Radha Yadav replaced Patil, Rodrigues was able to easily swat a square cut away for four through point; it didn’t matter the match-up had changed from right-arm offspin to slow left arm. Rodrigues hit eight fours in her 37-ball 57, each one a perfect illustration of how well she understands her strengths. And perhaps as an extension of it, her dismissal came about when she couldn’t impart enough power to a full toss on her pads and holed out at deep square leg. A classy knock, but one that was overpowered by RCB in reply.
In a game where the ball flew to and over the boundary ropes with alarming frequency, one incredible stat stood out. RCB hit at least one boundary in every single over of their run-chase that went the distance. Only on a couple of occasions, Nandani came close to seeing out an entire over without being hit for a four or six, but Mandhana and Voll spoiled those. And one shot deserves a special mention here: with 22 off 13 balls required, and a hint of pressure building on RCB, Mandhana squeezed a near-yorker through the packed offside field. Nandani’s jaw, quite literally, dropped.
And on a night when 407 runs were scored, a special mention for Lauren ‘dot ball’ Bell. As she has been doing all tournament, Bell started off the night with a flurry of dot balls – four in the first over and five in the second – to add to all the saplings she planted last few weeks. She went wicketless but ended with an astonishing economy rate of 4.75. Fittingly, her last ball of the tournament was a dot ball too.
Brief scores: Delhi Capitals 203/4 (Jemimah Rodrigues 57, Laura Wolvaardt 44, Lauren Bell 0/19) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 204/4 (Smriti Mandhana 87, Georgia Voll 79, Chinelle Henry 2/34) by 6 wickets
