WPL 2025/26, DC-W vs RCB-W 15th Match Match Preview

Ravi Singh

4 hours ago

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Big Picture

The playoffs race may be heating up elsewhere, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have already booked their place in the knockouts. They’re sitting pretty on top of the table with a perfect record and one more win will give them a direct entry into the final.

Even a change of venue hasn’t slowed RCB down. In Vadodara, on a slow surface, which contrasts with the conditions in Navi Mumbai, RCB adjusted swiftly to subdue Gujarat Giants. Their depth with the bat was again on display, this time through uncapped Gautami Naik, who judged the conditions to perfection to guide RCB to an above-par 178.

Their bowling has been just as relentless. Lauren Bell and Sayali Satghare have exploited any early assistance, while the return of Pooja Vastrakar only strengthens an already formidable attack. De Klerk’s slower balls have been effective in these conditions, while offspinner Shreyanka Patil has shown increasing maturity, varying her lines smartly through the middle overs.

Delhi Capitals (DC) arrive with confidence after toppling defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) in Vadodara, but the challenge is steeper than it appears as they face a well-rested RCB side coming off a four-day break after a demanding schedule.

The biggest challenge for DC will be negotiating RCB’s potent powerplay attack, and openers Lizelle Lee and Shafali Verma hold key to that. The explosive duo haven’t fired at the same time and that’s exactly what DC will need on Saturday if they want to dent RCB’s confidence. Jemimah Rodrigues found form at the right time with a match-winning knock against MI and her ability to build on that momentum will serve as a vital bonus as they look to strengthen their playoffs chances.

With N Shree Charani too being effective, finishing with three wickets against MI, she will be crucial against RCB’s middle order. In the battle between best friends, can Rodrigues get the better of Mandhana when they meet again in round two?

Team news and likely XIs

DC handed a debut to 16-year-old batter Deeya Yadav in place of Minnu Mani in their previous match against MI. They’re likely to go in with the same XI.

Delhi Capitals (probable): 1 Shafali Verma, 2 Lizelle Lee (wk), 3 Jemimah Rodrigues (capt), 4 Laura Wolvaardt, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Niki Prasad, 7 Deeya Yadav, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 Lucy Hamilton, 10 Shree Charani, 11 Nandani Sharma

With Vastrakar returning to fitness following hamstring injury that kept her out for two weeks, she’ll be the direct swap for Sayali Satghare.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Grace Harris, 2 Smriti Mandhana (capt), 3 Georgia Voll, 4 Gautami Naik, 5 Richa Ghosh (wk), 6 Radha Yadav, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Pooja Vastrakar, 9 Shreyanka Patil, 10 Prema Rawat, 11 Lauren Bell

Big question

In the spotlight

Marizanne Kapp has been slowly finding her rhythm with the ball after a quiet start to the season. After going wicketless in the first two games, she has picked four wickets in the next three while maintaining a tight economy. Against MI, she was clinical, conceding just eight runs off her four overs while not allowing a single boundary and also getting the crucial wicket of Hayley Matthews. While her batting is yet to come alive, runs from Kapp will be crucial to DC’s line-up in the lead-up to the playoffs.

Nadine de Klerk has been impossible to keep out of RCB’s performances this season. Following her explosive innings on the opening night against MI, she has been consistent with the ball, taking a wicket in every match and controlling the middle overs with her change of pace. She now has 10 wickets, the joint second-most this season with Amelia Kerr. Against Giants, with Ash Gardner and Anushka Sharma rotating the strike effectively, she repeatedly dragged Anushka wide outside off, forcing her to slice the ball to Radha Yadav. She later cramped Georgia Wareham with a short ball outside off which she top-edged to midwicket as de Klerk finished 2 for 17 from four tight overs.

Pitch and conditions

Strokeplay has not been easy for batters on the slow, back-soil pitch in Vadodara. Teams have continued opting to bowl first despite there being no clear advantage, with two out of three games won by teams batting first. The average first-innings score at the venue this season is 161.

Stats that matter

DC won their first four WPL matches against RCB since the tournament began in 2023, but have since gone on to lose three out of the next four.

DC batters have the second-lowest average per wicket of 23.8 against pace this season.

In 27 WPL innings, Mandhana has been dismissed 12 times by offspinners and averages just 15.6 against them. In the previous match, DC made Shafali and Sneh Rana bowl to her in the powerplay but they couldn’t have the desired effect as an in-form Mandhana took them for runs.

Previous meeting

A Mandhana special in Navi Mumbai had consigned DC to their third loss in four games then. After being put in, DC could post just 166 after a half-century from Shafali and lower-order hitting from Lucy Hamilton. Bell and Satghare led RCB’s incisive bowling effort, bagging three wickets apiece. In return, Mandhana and Georgia Voll combined for a second-wicket stand of 142 runs. Mandhana looked set to become the WPL’s first centurion before falling agonisingly short on 96, though by then RCB had already sealed control of the chase.

Sruthi Ravindranath is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo

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