Smriti Mandhana Battles Illness to Power RCB to Second WPL Title
Smriti Mandhana produced one of the finest innings of her career under extraordinary circumstances, overcoming a “massive flu” to guide Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their second Women’s Premier League title with a match-winning 87 off 41 balls in Thursday’s final against Delhi Capitals.
Chasing a daunting 204 — the highest total in a WPL final — Mandhana led from the front as RCB sealed a six-wicket victory, silencing any lingering questions about her impact in title matches.
RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan revealed after the win that Mandhana had been battling serious illness leading into the final.
“She had a massive, massive flu,” Rangarajan said with the WPL trophy beside him. “She was seriously unwell with a high fever. But she turned up and didn’t show it for one second. When I spoke to her in the afternoon, she said, ‘Nahi, Malo, koi problem nahi, I’ll be there.’ That’s Smriti — that’s her work ethic.”
Even by Mandhana’s lofty standards, the innings was a masterclass in pacing a high-pressure chase. She began cautiously, allowing Georgia Voll to take charge early, before dramatically shifting gears. Mandhana was just 6 off 5 balls at the end of the fifth over before launching a devastating assault on Delhi’s bowling.
The turning point came against spin. As RCB’s only left-handed batter, Mandhana targeted left-arm spinner Sree Charani — a key weapon for Delhi throughout the Vadodara leg — leaving captain Jemimah Rodrigues short of options. She manipulated similar deliveries to different parts of the ground, backing away to carve through point or stepping across to whip the ball between long-on and deep midwicket.
Even experienced off-spinner Sneh Rana found no respite as RCB struck at least one boundary in every over of the chase. Mandhana’s inside-out loft over wide long-off off Rana epitomised her dominance.
Mandhana finished the season as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 377 runs, capping a campaign that Rangarajan described as extraordinary.
“I think she saved one of her best innings for the final,” he said. “The way she batted was… inhuman. So classy, so elegant. You could see she was in complete control of what she wanted to do.”
Rangarajan credited Mandhana’s preparation and a subtle shift in mindset late in the tournament. That change became evident in RCB’s final league match against UP Warriorz, when Mandhana struck an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls to secure a direct spot in the final.
“She trained two days before the final, and that last training session was among the best she’s batted,” Rangarajan said. “She cracked the code then and looked very comfortable.”
The coach also highlighted Mandhana’s analytical approach to batting and her leadership within the squad.
“She’s a ‘feels’ person — the tap of the bat, the downswing, the contact,” Rangarajan said. “She’s a nerd when it comes to batting, always experimenting, always trying to get better. She leads by example and sets the standard in every training session.”
Mandhana may not have finished the final chase herself, but her innings ensured RCB crossed the line with two balls to spare — and with it, lifted the WPL trophy once again.
After a knock of such quality, any suggestion that Mandhana fades on the biggest stage was firmly laid to rest — fittingly capped by RCB’s familiar celebration chant: “Ee sala kuda cup namdu.”