Tension gripped the BCA Stadium in Vadodara as Delhi Capitals seized the toss advantage in WPL 2026’s 15th fixture, deciding to field first versus red-hot Royal Challengers Bengaluru on a crisp Saturday.
Jemimah Rodrigues justified the call: ‘Bowling under lights aids skid and dew. Low bounce anticipated from our analysis—sticking to the blueprint.’ Lineup changes: Chinelle Henry replaces Lucy Hamilton; Minnu Mani steps in for Deepta.
RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana would’ve fielded but adapted: ‘Wind curbs dew; first innings beckoned.’ Fit-again Aru returns, Prema dropped.
Playoff pressure mounts with three outings left. RCB’s perfect 5/5 streak yields 10 points and pole position. DC, 2/5 in fourth, battles to extend hopes despite historical prowess now marred by imbalances.
Leaderboard: Gujarat Giants (3/6) second, Mumbai Indians third, UP Warriors fifth—all in the hunt.
RCB Lineup: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell.
DC Lineup: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Niki Prasad, Chinelle Henry, Sneh Rana, Minnu Mani, Shri Charani, Nandani Sharma.
Will DC’s tactical acumen upset RCB’s streak? The WPL narrative hangs in balance.