New Delhi: The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) clinched their first-ever Women's Premier League (WPL) title, putting an end to their trophy drought.
Shreyanka Patil emerged as a hero for RCB, showcasing remarkable performances in both the Eliminator and the final match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.
Australian all-rounder Ellyse Perry also played a significant role in RCB's triumph throughout the tournament.
The final match saw a dramatic turn of events as Delhi started strongly, reaching 64/0 in the first innings. However, Sophie Molineux's exceptional bowling, particularly her three-wicket over, shifted the momentum in RCB's favor, resulting in Delhi folding their innings at 113 in 18.3 overs.
RCB's chase began steadily, with captain Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine forming a solid opening partnership of 49 runs. Shikha Pandey brought in all her experience to give away just 11 in her four overs and trap Devine LBW.
Despite Devine and Mandhana's dismissals, Ellyse Perry's unbeaten innings of 35 and Richa Ghosh's crucial boundary in the final over, proved crucial in steering RCB towards victory with three balls to spare.
Delhi Capitals (DC), despite a promising start from their opening pair Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma, suffered a dramatic collapse in their innings. Molineux's three-wicket over was pivotal in RCB's resurgence, leading to a significant downfall for Delhi.
Shreyanka's disciplined spin bowling further compounded Delhi's troubles. Her economical spell and crucial wickets, including that of DC skipper Meg Lanning, played a vital role in RCB's control of the game.
Brief Scores: Delhi Capitals 113 in 18.3 overs (Shafali Varma 44; Shreyanka Patil 4-12, Sophie Molineux 3-20) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore 115/2 in 19.3 overs (Ellyse Perry 35*, Sophie Devine 32; Shikha Pandey 1-11) by 8 wickets.