WPL Final: Smriti Mandhana Battled High Fever To Power Royal Challengers Bengaluru To Title Win

Smriti Mandhana played one of the best knocks in Women’s Premier League history, scoring a match-winning 87 off 41 balls to lead Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals (DC) in the WPL 2026 final in Vadodara on Thursday.

Chasing a steep 204-run target, Mandhana guided RCB’s innings on the way to their second WPL title – all the while battling a high fever and severe flu.

RCB Coach Reveals Mandhana’s Fever Battle

RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan revealed that Mandhana had taken to the pitch on Thursday, suffering from symptoms of flu, including a high fever.

“Massive, massive flu. She was seriously unwell with a high fever,” Rangarajan said after the final. “But to turn up, not even show it, nobody in the team (knew). For one second also (she) didn’t show it. That’s the person Smriti is.”

“When I spoke to her this afternoon, she said, ‘Malo, there's no problem, I’ll be there.’ So that’s her with her work ethic,” he added.

Mandhana Leads RCB To WPL 2026 Title

On the field, Mandhana delivered a masterclass in how to handle the pressure of chasing in a final. Early in the chase, she played second fiddle to Georgia Voll, allowing the Australian opener to dictate the tempo.

Batting at just six runs off five balls after five overs, Mandhana then switched gears. As the required run rate climbed, she went on the attack against the DC bowlers. She particularly targeted their spinners, who had otherwise been very effective during the Vadodara leg.

As the only left-hander in the RCB batting line-up, she went after left-arm spinner Sree Charani and also took on experienced campaigners such as Sneh Rana.

Mandhana hit the ball all over the park at a strike rate of 212, reaching her half-century in just 23 balls – the fastest in a WPL final. The RCB skipper finished as the WPL 2026 top scorer with 377 runs.

“I think she saved one of her best innings for the final,” Rangarajan 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.”