Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Smriti Mandhana summed up a historic night with a familiar chant — “Ee sala cup namdu” — after guiding her side to a second Women’s Premier League title and completing what she called an “amazing” run of success for the franchise across formats.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!RCB women had broken the title drought with a landmark triumph in 2024 before the men lifted the IPL trophy last year. Now, Mandhana’s side sealed another chapter in the franchise’s resurgence by defeating Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the WPL final, chasing down a daunting 204.
“Very pleased. RCB fans are the best in the world, wherever we play we get a lot of support. Three titles in three years for the franchise — it is amazing,” Mandhana said after the win, dedicating the moment to the loyal fan base. “This one’s for you guys… Ee sala cup namdu 2!”Despite conceding 203 in the summit clash, Mandhana revealed the dressing room remained calm. “We definitely thought it was a good surface to bat on. Of course, 200-plus in a final is a good score, but the way we bowled in the last four overs helped,” she said, singling out Lauren Bell’s economical spell as the match-winning moment.ALSO READ: ‘She has gone through a lot’: Shreyanka Patil dedicates RCB’s WPL triumph to Smriti MandhanaMandhana also credited Georgia Voll’s aggressive intent at the top for setting the tone in the chase. “Volly led the way… I had a feeling 10–15 days back that she would play a match-winning knock in the final. She has been working extremely hard and I’m happy it paid off,” she added.A key theme throughout Mandhana’s remarks was the role clarity provided by the support staff. “Right from the auction, everyone knew what was expected — the batting order, the phases to bowl. That makes our job easier,” she said, praising head coach Malolan Rangarajan and the management group.She highlighted the team’s collective work ethic as the driving force behind their belief. “When girls are putting in hard yards in the gym and training, you feel you can chase any score,” she noted.While Delhi Capitals suffered a fourth straight final defeat, skipper Jemimah Rodrigues praised her team’s fight, saying, “Could not be more proud of this group… everyone gave their best.”
