So that brings us to the end of another thrilling Womenās Premier League season. It was a record-shattering night in Vadodara, but one thing remained unchangedāDelhi Capitalsā heartbreak in the final. It was their fourth consecutive appearance in the summit clash, yet once again they fell short.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, meanwhile, continue to build a golden run as a franchise. They won the WPL in 2024, lifted the IPL title last year, and now add another WPL crown to their cabinet.
The action in world cricket hardly ever stops. The Under-19 World Cup final on Friday, followed by the T20 World Cup, which gets underway with a three-game opening day on Saturday. Keep following Crex for all the live action from across the cricketing world.
This is Ajay Pal Singh signing off on behalf of my colleagues AkshayaKrishna Polya, Pritam Dey, Raju Khariya and Aman. Good night, bye-bye.
Smriti Mandhana collects the trophy from Mithun Manhas and Devajit Saikia. She then joins her teammates to pose in front of the winner's board.
Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women Captain): "(On the feeling) Very pleased! RCB fans are the best in the world. Wherever we play, they come out and support us. Whatever we do is for them. Three titles in three years for the franchise. It has been amazing.
(On thoughts about the pitch and score) We definitely thought that it was a good surface to bat on. But 200+ in the final is always a good score. In the last few overs, we bowled well. Credit to Lauren Bell. In a game where over 400 runs were scored, she went for just around 20. That was a match-winning spell.
(On her partnership with Georgia Voll) Obviously, Georgia Voll led the way in the run chase. She took most of the strike in the powerplay. Her intent was spot on. I had a feeling she would get a match-winning knock in the final. She has been practising a little extra in the past couple of days. Happy that it paid off for her.
(On the calmness in the team) When we win, we can always say being calm and chill works. The way the support staff have been around the girls, and the role clarity given, have been extremely helpful. The support staff has been great. Phone calls came and they said this is what we are looking for. Anya (Shrubsole), Malo (Malolan Rangarajan) and RX (Murali), sir. We believed in them. Credit to everyone, and when that happens in the right way, our job is pretty easy to come in and lead the way. Girls are working extremely hard in the gym and that is one thing that boosts your belief. When you have that belief, you chase down any score. Once that happens, we felt really confident that we could chase it down. What Voll did tonight was really special.
(On who impressed her this season?) We had plenty of contributions. The campaign we have had, everyone going back home will say what they have contributed. I will say 3 names. PK (Prathyoosha Kumar) was a girl who didn't play a game, but she was there. And then Gautami Naik and Prema Rawat, they are two special youngsters to watch out for."
Again, before going back, I have to thank all the RCB fans. This is for you guys. I said it in 2024, and now, I will say it again. This is Ee Sala Cup Namdu Part 2."
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Head Coach Malolan Rangarajan receives the Winners medal, followed by the captain Smriti Mandhana receiving the Winning Cheque of 6 Crores!
Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi Capitals Women Captain): [Sum up the season for DC] I could not be more proud of this team. It wasn't easy for us. The kind of character our girls showed, making it to the final. They are a great bunch of girls. Not just that, our support staff have worked tirelessly, even the logistics and the fans who have supported us. Thank you very much.
[On the total on the board] I think 204 in a final is always a good score. Hats off to the way we played as a team. We have been great. If you wanted our team to fire and click, it was today. I think we did that really well. There's always that we could have done this or could have done that. But everyone fought hard and gave it their all.
[On the youngsters] I think the assessment has been great. It is easier to start the tournament well but to pick ourselves up even if it is a senior player or someone like Niki and Rana, the way they batted that day was phenomenal. They showed what kind of depth there is in Indian cricket. Nandani, she did more than we asked of her. Can't be more proud of her. Even Minnu, the way she fielded and showed up. Great bunch, it has been great.
[On her own batting this season] I loved it, I hate getting out though but yeah, I loved it (chuckles).
Jemimah Rodrigues receives the runners-up Cheque after DC's Head Coach, Jonathan Batty, received the medals.
Match officials collect their mementos.
Sophie Devine (MVP, Pre-recorded Interview): "Huge thank you to them (teammates and support staff). It has been a fantastic tournament. It is only going to continue to build."