Bengaluru win WPL after record chase against Delhi

Vadodara, India: Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll smashed half-centuries as Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased a record 204 to beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets and lift their second Women's Premier League title.
The thrilling victory late Thursday came with two deliveries to spare at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara.
Delhi posted 203-4 on the back of a strong top-order batting display headlined by a sparkling 57 by their captain Jemimah Rodrigues.
Bengaluru held the record for the previous highest successful chase in WPL history when they hunted down Gujarat Giants' 202 last year.
They bettered it by reaching 204-4 in 19.4 overs to join Mumbai Indians as two-time champions of the tournament. Their previous title was in 2024.
Voll joined Mandhana in the second over after Grace Harris was bowled by Chinelle Henry and she immediately produced a series of stunning boundaries.
Mandhana matched the Australian stroke for stroke.
Voll was the first to her fifty, off 37 deliveries, and Mandhana followed suit a little thereafter, taking just 23 balls to reach the milestone.
With victory in sight, Voll fell for an excellent 79 off 54 deliveries after a WPL record alliance for any wicket.
Bengaluru needed 30 off 21 at that stage and lost Richa Ghosh and Mandhana for a brilliant 87 in the penultimate over as panic set in.
But Radha Yadav, dropped first ball with 13 required off eight, kept her nerve to hit left-arm spinner Shree Charani for successive boundaries in the last over, helping Bengaluru complete an IPL-WPL double.
The men's team, led by Rajat Patidar, lifted their first Indian Premier League title in June.
At the halfway stage, Delhi might have entertained visions of making their fourth entry into the final a successful one.
There was a powerhouse batting display by aggressive openers Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma, who put on 49 in 35 deliveries.
Laura Wolvaardt weighed in with 44, but the real impetus was provided by Rodrigues, while Henry hit an unbeaten 35 off just 15 deliveries.