The WPL 2024 final match between the Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) has been set to take place. Every team is searching for their first victory. The Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi will host the epic match.
The Women’s Premier League (WPL) second season has been exciting. The tournament’s highlights have included close games, intense batting, plenty of sixes, and nearly sold-out audiences. The matchup between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians might have been another replay of the championship game from the previous year. However, in the Eliminator match against MI on Friday, Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bangalore pulled off an attempt at stealing triumph from the jaws of defeat.
The Delhi Capitals, captained by Meg Lanning, are prepared to play At the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday, March 17, Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bangalore will compete for the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) title. In terms of the competition, Delhi Capital finished with 12 points after winning six of the eight games. They have a net run rate of +1.198 and have dropped two of their games. With 41 balls left, they overcame the Gujarat Giants by 7 wickets in their elimination match.
It’s interesting to note that neither team’s male counterparts have won an IPL since the competition’s start. Thus, it will be Mandhana or Lanning who raises the 2024 WPL trophy, which will put an end to the teams’ long-awaited title dryness.
With some outstanding achievements this season, DC—who finished second in 2023—finished first after the league phase. In addition to their play, the Capitals have the advantage in their head-to-head matchup. In the two WPL editions, they have defeated RCB in all four of their meetings. The opening combination of captain Lanning and Shefali Verma leads the way in DC’s exciting batting lineup. Lanning is the second-highest run scorer in the league, with 308 runs scored thus far this season. Shefali is also in peak physical condition. She had already scored two half-centuries in the event when she played Gujarat Giants, and she blasted a 37-ball 71 in her last game. Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey ensure that the momentum created by the openers is maintained.
For her part, Jemimah has made some crucial plays during the competition and has shocked a lot of people with the force she displays while taking big shots. Marizanne Kapp, a pace bowling all-rounder, and Jess Jonassen, a left-arm spinner, lead the bowling department’s highest wicket-taking chart with 11 wickets each. For DC, other players like Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Shikha Pandey, and Radha Yadav have also proven trustworthy with the ball. In the two WPL sessions, DC and RCB played four matches, with DC winning each time.
Despite this, RCB are in the lead after upsetting MI, the defending champions in the Eliminator. They depend heavily on Mandhana, Richa Ghosh, and Ellyse Perry to support their batting.
With 312 runs, Perry leads all scorers in the tournament. He has also made some clutch hits, including the game-winning 66 in the Eliminator. After overcoming the Mumbai Indians, the defending champions in the Eliminator 2, the Smriti Mandhana-led RCB advanced to the championship game. On the other hand, DC progressed straight to the finals.
On the other hand, RCB defeated MI by 5 runs in their elimination match against the Mumbai Indians. As a result, RCB has won 4 of the last 8 games and has an NRR of +0.306. Even though MI had two more points than RCB, its net return ratio decreased to +0.024. Ellyse Perry, a star player, scored 66 runs in 50 balls in that particular match.
Team News: Delhi Capitals
During the captain’s news conference on Saturday, Lanning stated that the DC camp is at ease and relaxed before the major conclusion. They are a team that is used to winning big matches, and they have been the clear favorites going into the competition. Four DC batters are currently among the tournament’s top scorers. Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shefali Verma, and Skipper Lanning are all on fire.
Three of the bowlers are among the top five wicket-takers of the season, demonstrating their equally remarkable play this season. With 11 scalps in 6 games, Kapp tops the standings, followed by Jess Jonassen (11) and Radha Yadav (10).
We’ve had a nice balance between spending time together off the field, like at a great meal with some laughter the other night, and working out over the past few days. So, that’s the preparation we’ve used the entire tournament, letting people take care of themselves as necessary. And we think we’re in a great place, going into tomorrow,” Lanning added.
Given the fact that DC has defeated RCB in all four of their meetings, they will undoubtedly start as favorites. But the WPL has been all about nail-biting finishes and surprising turns of events. With the match victors, RCB, at their command, DC would play the big game with calculated actions.
“We’ve witnessed some amazing cricket and unpredictable finishes throughout the competition. I therefore have high expectations for today. Additionally, the RCB, who have played some outstanding cricket, will be our opponent. They have players who can win games, and they have shown that even when they are under pressure, they can play excellent cricket. What a fantastic challenge it is for our group to have to face them head-on. “Lanning said
Team News: RCB
When considering the highs and lows RCB has seen, it has been a history of tremendous success. However, their one-run loss to Delhi in their previous meeting had undoubtedly shocked them to their very core. They successfully recovered to destroy MI, preventing them from having an opportunity to reclaim their crown.
The heartbreaking passing appears to have brought out the familiar Ellyse Perry. She has emerged as the person to watch out for in the championship game after taking six wickets to record the best-ever WPL bowling figures and then a pride-saving fifty in the Eliminator.
Richa Ghosh, a keeper-batswoman, has proven to be just as adept with the bat, stepping up repeatedly to support Perry and save the team whenever the top order falls apart too soon. The youthful spin combo of Asha Sobhana and Shreyanka Patil, who have been the cornerstones of RCB’s strength, will receive the majority of attention. The tense Eliminator demonstrated how, with enough time and effort, they can swing the tide in their favor.
“I believe the bowler started bowling, and we stood up and we got those two wickets, definitely the emotions kicked in,” Mandhana said in reference to the Eliminator. “But I think whatever was there, I think the whole group was really calm.”
The women have an opportunity to create history, but the men of RCB have not won an IPL championship in the previous 14 years. Instead of drawing any comparisons, though, the unit aims to stay focused and avoid adding more stress to itself. We simply realized that there are already two seasons. We shouldn’t overthink the events of the last 15 years. Therefore, I can’t really connect anything to what went with the men’s. Over the past 25 days, we have consistently enjoyed each other’s company, maintained a laser-like focus on the task at hand, and received excellent training. Thus, in my opinion, nothing changes,” Mandhana added.
WPL Final 2024: DC vs. RCB: When and Where?
On Sunday, March 17, the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi will host the DC vs. RCB WPL Final 2024.
DC vs RCB, WPL Final 2024: Time
At 7:30 PM IST, the DC vs. RCB WPL Final 2024 will take place.
WPL Final 2024: Where will it be broadcast?
The 2024 WPL Final between DC and RCB will air live on the Sports18 Network.
DC vs RCB: Live streaming
The JioCinema App and website will stream the live WPL Final 2024 between DC and RCB.
DC vs RCB: Head to Head
4 matches, DC – 4, RCB – 0.
DC vs RCB squads:
DC full squad: Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen, Laura Harris, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Marizanne Kapp, Sneha Deepthi, Poonam Yadav, Meg Lanning (c), Minnu Mani, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Titas Sadhu
RCB full squad: Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight (withdrawn), Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh (wk), Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana (c), Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Kate Cross, Ekta Bisht, Shubha Satheesh, S Meghana, Simran Bahadur, and Sophie Molineux