If you have ever supported RCB with even half a functioning heart, you already know this was never going to be a normal win.
The WPL 2026 final, played on February 5 in Vadodara, was the kind of match that makes you sit up straight, forget to blink, and start bargaining with the universe somewhere around the 15th over.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women chased down 203 in a final that refused to be calm for even a minute, finishing at 204/4 in 19.4 overs and lifting their second Women’s Premier League trophy. Delhi Capitals Women did not collapse and RCB did not get lucky. (Because yes, history has been harsh to us RCB paglus) This was a proper, high-voltage chase where the better team simply decided they were not going to lose.
Delhi had posted 203/4, with Jemimah Rodrigues making 57 off 37 balls, playing the kind of innings that looks effortless until you realise how much control it takes in a final. The target was massive, the stadium was loud, and the pressure was doing cartwheels. And then Smriti Mandhana happened.
Mandhana, captaining RCB, played a knock that felt like it was written for a franchise documentary: 87 off 41 balls, fearless from the start, and completely uninterested in the idea of playing safe. Beside her, Australia’s Georgia Voll was equally unbothered by the occasion, scoring 79 off 54 and turning the chase into a partnership masterclass.
RCB crossed the line with two balls to spare, which is basically cricket’s way of saying: “Yes, we will give you stress, but we will also give you joy.”
Mandhana was named Player of the Match, and honestly, there was no argument.
No More Dukh Dard Peeda For RCB?
This win is not just a title, it is a shift in the way RCB exists in Indian cricket culture.
For years, RCB carried a very specific reputation with iconic players, dramatic matches, the loudest fans, and a trophy cabinet that stayed stubbornly empty. Supporting them often felt like being in a long-term relationship with someone who kept saying “I will change” and then immediately doing the same thing again.
RCB was cricket’s kacha nimbu for the longest time, sharp, promising, but never fully sweet. And yet, the last three years have flipped the script so aggressively that it almost feels unreal.
- RCB Women won in 2024
- RCB Men finally won the IPL in 2025
- And now RCB Women have done it again in 2026
That is not a cute coincidence, that is a franchise entering its winning era. The second reason this night landed so hard was Smriti Mandhana’s own personal arc.
Over the past months, Mandhana has had to deal with the kind of online nonsense that women athletes know too well; you know, whispers about her relationships, unsolicited commentary about marriage, and the internet behaving like her personal life is a public group project.
Instead of responding with statements, she responded with timing, placement, and boundaries so crisp they belonged in a textbook. On the biggest night of the season, she did not just play well, she played like someone reclaiming space.
Last Night Was Special. Here’s 4 Moments Why
Some matches are remembered for the scorecard. This one will be remembered for the little things that made it feel alive.
1.Mandhana and Jemimah’s Behencode On-Field
Right after the final ball, one of the first things fans noticed was Smriti Mandhana hugging Jemimah Rodrigues.
There had been chatter earlier in the tournament about Jemimah being present for Mandhana during a difficult phase, even stepping away from a game to spend time with her. Whether or not every detail is perfectly documented, the emotional truth was right there on the field.
That hug felt like a reminder that women’s sport is not just rivalry. It is also companionship, softness, and showing up. It was ‘aurat samaj’ melting in real time. In this so-called aurat hi aurat ki dushman world, this one felt like a warm hug. (quite literally)
2) GOAT wishing GOATs ft. Kohli Vai
Virat Kohli congratulating the women’s team was not surprising, but it still hit. He called it a tremendous victory, told them they deserved it, and asked them to embrace the love from fans.
Kohli has lived through RCB’s heartbreak years and Mandhana has now led them through their redemption years. They feel like my mum and dad from the RCB world, and I wouldn’t have it otherwise.
Watching that acknowledgement felt like two timelines of the same franchise meeting in the middle. RCB history has always been emotional, now it is emotional with trophies.
3) We said Female aura farming, Mandhana heard it
Mandhana’s post-match speech did not sound like a captain reading out a press release.
She referenced what she had said in 2024, “Ee Sala Cup Namdu” and said “I’ve said Ee Sala Cup Naamdu in 2024, so now I will say Ee Sala Cup Namdu 2.”
That moment felt like the internet’s favourite genre: women winning and being unbothered queens.
4) The sticker on the trophy was ridiculously wholesome
In the middle of all the chaos, Mandhana placed an RCB sticker on the WPL trophy. Her teammates stood around her, watching like proud sisters, and then erupted the second she did it.
Women’s cricket has spent years being treated like an add-on. Watching this squad claim the trophy so joyfully, so possessively, felt like a quiet statement: this is ours.
Also, it was freaking adorable, let us not pretend otherwise.
What the numbers say (quick recap)
Delhi Capitals Women scored 203/4, with Jemimah Rodrigues top-scoring with 57 off 37. RCB Women chased it down with 204/4 in 19.4 overs, led by Smriti Mandhana’s 87 off 41 and Georgia Voll’s 79 off 54.
Mandhana was Player of the Match, and RCB lifted their second WPL title after 2024.
What Next, RCB Paglus?
RCB are no longer the franchise people pity for being trophyless. They are the franchise building an era and finally out of their “ye saala dukh kyu khatam nahi hota hai” era.
Because hear us out, two WPL titles in three seasons is not nostalgia, it is pure dominance. Smriti Mandhana is not just captaining a side; she is shaping what RCB means for a new generation of fans. And on February 5 in Vadodara, RCB Women did not just win a final, they won hearts, souls and gave us all the will to live. (at least for a few months).