Delhi Capitals will have their task cut out against RCB in WPL 2026 final.
Delhi Capitals (DC) have made it to their fourth consecutive Women’s Premier League (WPL) final by defeating Gujarat Giants (GG) in the eliminator. They didn’t have a great start to the tournament, but they peaked at the right time to get to the summit clash.
However, DC will be up against a high-flying Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who have almost every base covered. They were the most consistent team in the league stage and rightly finished at the top.
We look at three factors that could help Delhi Capitals beat RCB in WPL 2026 final.
Delhi Capitals have one of the strongest opening pairs, Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee, and they must provide a rapid start again. The duo has the second-best average (40.11) and third-best run rate (8.84) as a pair this season, with three fifty partnerships. In Vadodara, DC have been the best performing team in the powerplay, with the best strike rate (124.44) and balls-per-boundary ratio (3.91).
Their redemption started in Vadodara, and the openers were the biggest reason behind it. Hence, Shafali and Lizelle will again be pivotal against RCB, who are the best-performing bowling team in field restrictions. If they can counter the likes of Lauren Bell early on, a lot of work will become easier later for other batters.
Delhi Capitals’ biggest threat will be Nadine de Klerk, who has easily been the best player in the tournament. She can single-handedly change the course of the game, and DC must restrict her power-hitting immediately. The best way to do that will be by introducing spinners against her, even in the death overs.
In WPL 2026, Nadine has struck at 162.71 and hit a boundary every 4.21 deliveries against pacers, but her strike rate and balls-per-boundary ratio fall to 93.75 and 10.66 against spin. DC have Shree Charani and Minnu Mani as the lead spinners, and their overs should be preserved for the RCB all-rounder. That’s the only way to stop her on the deck that will suit batters.
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While Marizanne Kapp must step with both bat and ball, her bowling value will matter more for multiple reasons. She has been mighty effective against RHBs, taking nine out of 10 wickets at an average of 11.77 against them. So, Kapp will be vital as a bowler.
RCB have an RHB-heavy batting lineup, with Smriti Mandhana the only LHB in the setup. Kapp will be required to bowl more overs in the initial phase of the innings, since DC must save spinners and Chinelle Henry for Nadine at the back end of the innings. Her task will be to use her proficiency against RHBs and restrict the likes of Grace Harris and Georgia Voll from going big and setting a base for big hitters.
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