A resurgent Delhi Capitals side will look to inject further momentum in their quest to qualify for the knockouts as they pit their wits against a formidable and dominant Royal Challengers Bengaluru side, who will be looking to extend their record-breaking run in Match 15 of the 2026 Women’s Premier League season.
Here, we present our preview and predictions for the game.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are currently resembling a freight train that is showing absolutely zero signs of slowing down this season. Not many expected them to be this dominant, especially after the loss of their talisman and marquee all-rounder Ellyse Perry, but here they are, swatting aside every team with ridiculous ease and having match-winning contributions from different players in every game.
In their most recent game against the Gujarat Giants, it was young Gautami Naik who stepped up and announced herself to the WPL with what was a coming-of-age performance. Her heroics with the bat propelled RCB to what eventually proved to be a match-winning total, which was defended with ease given the strength and variety of their bowling attack.
RCB have performed like a well-oiled machine, with each player aware of the roles that have been assigned to them and executing them to perfection. Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Radha Yadav, Naik, Grace Harris, and skipper Smriti Mandhana have all had performances that have either changed the complexion of the game, or have built the platform for victory.
A victory here will virtually seal RCB’s place as the league stage winners, thereby taking them directly to the final and bringing with it a couple of extra days of rest.
Their opponents, the Delhi Capitals, have not only managed to give their campaign a new lease of life with victory over the Mumbai Indians, but also blow the knockouts race wide open among the other four teams.
Just when it seemed like the burden of captaincy was having a detrimental impact on her batting, Jemimah Rodrigues turned up in inspirational fashion against MI, shepherding the chase for her side and registering her first half-century of the season, as well as her first as DC captain.
Rodrigues’s return to form is a much-needed boost for the Capitals, who have been far too reliant on opener Lizelle Lee’s pyrotechnics at the top of the order. With Rodrigues returning to form, it allows the rest of the batters to play according to their strengths and give them that much-needed level of cohesion with the bat that they have been missing so far this season.
The last time these two sides met, a Smriti Mandhana batting masterclass floored the Capitals as the RCB skipper butchered the DC bowlers with a majestic 96 off 61, helping the Royal Challengers canter to the target with ten balls to spare and eight wickets in hand.
While DC have injected some momentum and positivity into their campaign, it still will fall short against the might and the power of RCB given the way they have played in this tournament. The Capitals will have to play a more-than-perfect game, and even then they may fall short against the juggernaut that is this Royal Challengers Bengaluru side.
Fantasy XI: Smriti Mandhana (c), Lizelle Lee (wk), Grace Harris, Jemimah Rodrigues, Radha Yadav, Marizanne Kapp, Richa Ghosh, Nandani Sharma, Shreyanka Patil, Nadine de Klerk, Lauren Bell
Venue: Vadodara International Stadium, Kotambi
Winners Prediction: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
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