Fourth straight defeat in a final for DC! You've got to feel bad for them. They've been the most consistent side in the tournament's short history, but they're still without a trophy to show for their efforts.

That's it from us for the night. Thanks for tuning in!

Radha Yadav seals it for RCB! Back-to-back boundaries from Radha spark scenes of pure jubilation! There was a heartbeat of pure terror as the bails came off at the striker's end, but the third umpire confirms it: No hit-wicket! The bat was nowhere near the stumps. RCB are the 2026 WPL Champions! They move alongside Mumbai Indians as the joint-most successful franchise in the history of the league with two titles. The trophy is heading back to Bengaluru!

Ten needed off the final over! This is going right down to the wire in Vadodara. All eyes are on Nadine de Klerk as she prepares to steam in-Delhi Capitals have done a sensational job to peg RCB back from the brink. Six balls to decide the 2026 champions!

RCB: 194/4 (19)

Leg stump uprooted! Smriti shuffles across to pull, but she's moved way too far across the line. She misses, Henry doesn't, and the captain turns around to see her leg stump pegged back! Chinelle Henry strikes again-is the comeback on for Delhi?
RCB: 191/4 (18.4)

Richa was in a hurry to finish this, but she holes out in a similar fashion to Voll! She skews it high into the air, and Mani keeps her composure to take a good catch. Two wickets in quick succession-is there a late twist in the tale?
RCB: 181/3 (17.4)

Voll holes out! The record-breaking partnership is finally broken! She goes for the aerial route again, but the bottom hand didn't quite come into play this time. Shafali Verma settles under it and bags a safe catch at long-on. Voll slams her bat in frustration-she knew that was the game right there! Partnership of 165 comes to an end
RCB: 173/2 (16.3)

Voll continues to time the ball to perfection! Fired into the slot, and she absolutely nails the slog towards cow-corner. It pierces the gap between the two fielders in the deep and skips away for a one-bounce four. She is making this look far too easy!
RCB: 169/1 (16)

Smriti Mandhana is now the leading run-getter of WPL 2026, surpassing India teammate Harmanpreet Kaur. She also becomes the 5th player with 1000-plus runs in the WPL after Nat Sciver-Brunt (1348), Meg Lanning (1200), Harmanpreet Kaur (1193), and Shafali Verma (1124).
RCB: 162/1 (15)

Boundaries are flowing for Mandhana! She punishes Charani this time-it's another half-tracker, and Smriti simply walks across her stumps to dispatch it between long-on and deep mid-wicket. She is in a murderous mood out there!

RCB: 140/1 (13.2)

Half-centuries for both Voll and Mandhana within mere deliveries of each other! It's all happening in Vadodara-the runs are coming thick and fast, and the boundaries are flowing for RCB. They are firmly in the driver's seat right now. Is there another heartbreak loading for DC?
RCB: 114/1 (11.2)

100 up for RCB with that six! Mandhana makes the most of another half-tracker. She picks this up and wallops it just over the deep mid-wicket fence! The crowd is findng its voice now-103 needed off the last 10 overs. This game is on a knife-edge!
RCB: 100/1 (10)

More delight for Voll as she moves into the 40s! A half-tracker from Mani, and Voll has all the time in the world to crack it past the cover fielder's right. She is playing an absolute blinder; as it stands, RCB are well ahead of the curve!
RCB: 86/1 (8.2)

Four and then six! Mandhana joins the party! No signs of RCB feeling the pressure now; it's DC who are under the pump. This partnership is flowing beautifully. Voll has turned the game on its head, and Smriti isn't relaxing either!

RCB: 59/1 (6)

Voll is toying with the field at the moment! She picks this one up and heaves it over midwicket for four-no chance for the fielder to cut that one out. The bowler, however, is clearly unhappy with the effort in the deep!

Voll is off to a flyer! Another ramp, another boundary for the young Aussie-the pressure is right back on DC! The current run-rate is hovering just under nine now, though Mandhana has barely faced a delivery so far.

That's some shot from Voll! Brings out the ramp and gets enough connection to get it past Lee. She likes playing that shot!
RCB: 21/1 (2.3)

WICKET! Flattens middle stump! Chinelle Henry cannot put a foot wrong at the moment. She cleans up Harris off the very first ball! It jags back in sharply and Harris has no clue about it. A devastating blow for RCB!

A couple of boundaries for Grace Harris and RCB are up and running in the chase. Good intent this from the Australian. 
RCB: 9/0 (1)

DC post 203/4 thanks to some clean hitting from Jemimah (57), Wolvaardt (44), and Henry (35). This is a record total in a WPL final by a long distance. 0/19 for Lauren Bell from her quota, which is an excellent return considering how others struggled with the dew factor.

24 off that over! Some clean hitting from Chinelle Henry, and DC are well within touching distance of 200 with an over to go. RCB are under massive pressure now. This would take some chasing from them to deny DC!

DC: 188/3 (19)

Back-to-back boundaries for Henry! And there it is-the highest score ever in a WPL final. DC are 173/3 in just 18.2 overs. This is some clean hitting from the West Indian. It's not looking good for RCB at the moment!

Oh dear, Jemimah has made an absolute meal of the full toss! She shanks it completely, finding the safe hands of Nadine de Klerk, who makes no mistake. Jemimah gets a standing ovation from Sourav Ganguly as she makes her way back to the dugout!
DC: 148/3 (16)

That's what you call a captain's knock! Jemimah has raced her way to a 32-ball half-century. Seven boundaries have come off her blade so far, and DC are cruising toward a massive total!
DC: 134/5 (14.5)

Arundhati needs some help from the other end! She bowls another excellent over, conceding just seven after Shreyanka's expensive set. RCB are desperate for wickets now; they need a breakthrough to stop the bleeding.
DC: 120/2 (13)

Tidy over from Arundhati! Just six off it, but RCB need wickets. Jemimah is middling almost anything and everything, while Wolvaardt looks happy to play second fiddle for now. Advantage DC!

DC: 100/2 (11)

DC are ahead at this stage despite the dismissals of Lee and Shafali! The onus is now on Jemimah and Wolvaardt. This partnership could be decisive for either side. 

DC: 83/2 (9)

Big wicket for RCB! De Klerk wins the all-South African battle against Lizelle Lee. A little cross-seamer and Lee miscues it completely. Grace Harris settles under it and gobbles it up near long-on! Two down now for DC.

DC: 72/2 (7.3)

4,4,6,1,4! Massive over for DC courtesy Lizelle Lee! Expensive first over for Shreyanka. DC are well and truly on the charge. RCB under a bit of pressure now

DC: 72/1 (7)

WICKET! Arundhati Reddy strikes for RCB! Banged in short this time, but it seems to come off slower than Shafali expected. She misses the wild swing but manages a minor snick through to Richa Ghosh, who takes a sharp catch behind the sticks. A loud appeal for caught behind, and the umpire raises her finger

DC: 49/1 (5.5)

Lee is finding some rhythm! This one is slashed for four. Not a bad ball from Bell, but Lee throws her hands at it and flays it past short third! The player at short third is well beaten. DC are moving well now.

DC: 34/0 (4.3)

Shafali survives! Almost a stumping! Great reflexes from Richa, but she wasn't quite swift enough in removing the bails. Shafali just managed to keep her bat grounded. Huge let-off for DC and Shafali!

DC: 28/0 (3.5)

Lee goes bang! Breaks the shackles in style. Back-to-back six for the South African powerhouse. Too much width from Sayali and she gets punished. Lee is on fire now!
DC: 21/1 (3.2)

Five dots and a single off the final ball! Lauren Bell continues to trouble batters in the powerplay. Lizelle Lee has struggled a bit so far against her. This is a good start from RCB's perspective. 

DC: 9/0 (3)

Shafali Verma spoils a rather tidy over from Lauren Bell with a boundary of the last ball. She marches down the track and crashes it over extra cover! Decent start for DC

DC: 5/0 (1)

There's definitely some dew on the outfield, and the Super Sopper was doing its thing before the players made their way to the middle. Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma are ready to face the chin music. The familiar figure of Lauren Bell steps up to bowl the first over.

RCB had won their first five games of the season before being stunned by today's opponents. DC have done well historically against RCB but lost the all-important final in 2024. They'll be hoping that isn't the case this time.

Former New Zealand cricketer Katey Martin feels that the DC openers Lizelle Lee and Shafali Varma would be looking to counter-attack against lead RCB pacer Lauren Bell.

"I think the Delhi openers will go after Lauren Bell. She has been very consistent; it's really the bounce she's been able to generate, along with the swing, that makes her such a challenge for batters. We saw on the wicket in the game Delhi Capitals played against Gujarat Giants that there is a bit in it with the new ball. So expect her to get that opportunity. I think hers is such an incredible story, to remodel your entire bowling action, take time away from the game, and have the bravery to do that. Now, we're starting to see the success and confidence. I'm really looking forward to seeing her produce some magic out in the middle," said Katey.

Former Indian cricketer Saba Karim said that the Capitals look stronger than the 2024 champions RCB on paper and have "all bases covered" for the final.

"Hopefully, it happens for Delhi this time around. This is the fourth season of TATA WPL, and the Delhi Capitals have been the most consistent team. Finals have been the one big hurdle they've yet to cross, that perhaps be down to nerves, preparation, or execution on the day. But this is a golden opportunity. They're playing under a new captain, the atmosphere in the team is very good, and I thought Delhi would be the first team to qualify, even though they had to take a different route this year. The way they performed in the eliminator, I feel they have all the bases covered. On paper, Delhi Capitals looks like a stronger team than the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They have a lot of options. Anything could happen in the final; both teams are very strong. Let's see who wins the battle between the two best friends," he said.

The closing ceremony is underway in Vadodara! Malaika Arora performs for a brief on the iconic song 'Chaiyya Chaiyya'. Her appearance is followed by a solo vocal performance from singer Talwiinder. 

RCB skipper Mandhana says it has been a trend in the tournament and they want to know what they are going to chase.

"It's always good to know what you're going to chase. We're playing with the same XI what we played in the last match. (On the break and and playing the final) It's been brilliant, I feel. First 2-3 days, we all had a good time off. We didn't think a lot about cricket. And of course, in the last two or three days, we came back together, practised hard. And again, there's nice nerves, nice anxiousness, and nice excitement. And I feel you all have to embrace it. And we've all had a chat about it. And don't run away from it, just embrace it. (Different preparations for the final?) Well, I'm not sure that it's different. What's worked for us is keeping things as simple as we can. And I think nothing changes for us today as well. Everyone had that calm energy today. But of course, the excitement level is high. And for sure, I mean, we know that we have to turn up and play our best cricket," said Mandhana.

DC captain Jemimah is happy to lose the toss, but admits that she would've liked to bowl first. Both teams are unchanged.

"It's better to lose the toss in such big games. We are going with the same team. We've kept it very simple, kept our plans simple. We played the Eliminator here, so we know what it's going to like like," Jemimah said at the toss.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI: Smriti Mandhana (capt), Grace Harris, Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (wk), Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Arundhati Reddy, Lauren Bell

Delhi Capitals XI: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), Marizanne Kapp, Chinelle Henry, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Nandni Sharma, N Shree Charani

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the WPL 2026 final. History beckons both RCB, the 2024 champions, and DC, lead by Indian stars Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues as they collide in the title clash. RCB are aiming for a second title in three years while DC aim for a fairytale finish after defeats in the last three WPL finals.