WPL 2026: Delhi Capitals face unbeaten RCB in must-win clash
What's the story
Delhi Capitals will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a crucial Women's Premier League (WPL) match on Saturday. The game will be played in Vadodara, starting at 7:30pm IST. This is a must-win match for Delhi to keep their playoff hopes alive. They are currently fourth on the table with just two wins in five matches. Meanwhile, table-toppers RCB have sealed a playoff berth with victories in each of their five outings.
Details
Match details and venue conditions
The upcoming match will be televised on the Star Sports Network and streamed live on JioHotstar. Meanwhile, the pitch at BCA Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, is expected to provide a fair contest with early assistance for spinners and some swing for pacers with the new ball. Batters can score heavily if they settle down due to consistent bounce.
Team composition
Lee, Nandani have starred for Capitals
Delhi Capitals's batting has been led by veteran Lizelle Lee, who has scored 213 runs so far (SR: 154.35). Laura Wolvaardt and Shafali Verma have also chipped in with 123 and 149 runs respectively. Their bowling attack has been led by uncapped pacer Nandani Sharma, who has taken 10 wickets at an economy rate of 8.7. Veteran South African pacer Marizanne Kapp has taken only four wickets, but her economy rate of 5.25 is mighty impressive.
Opponent's strength
RCB have been phenomenal across departments
Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who are still unbeaten in this edition of the WPL, have a strong batting line-up. Skipper Smriti Mandhana and Grace Harris have been explosive at the top, while Nadine de Klerk and Richa Ghosh have bolstered the middle-order. Gautami Naik's impressive 73 against Gujarat Giants has also bolstered RCB's batting strength. Their bowling attack has been equally impressive with Sayali Satghare, de Klerk, Laurene Bell, and Shreyanka Patil regularly taking wickets.
Line-ups
Probable XI of the two teams:
Delhi Capitals Probable XI: Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Deeya Yadav, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Lucy Hamilton, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma. Royal Challengers Bengaluru Probable XI: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Richa Ghosh (wk), Gautami Naik, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell.
Information
Here's the head-to-head record
Coming to the head-to-head record, the Capitals have five wins and three defeats against RCB. In their previous meeting this season, Smriti Mandhana's team defeated the Capitals by eight wickets in Navi Mumbai. Mandhana scored a stunning 96 off just 61 balls as RCB chased down 166 with ease. The game also saw Shafali Verma counter-attack with an aggressive knock of 62 off 34 balls.
Performers
Key players to watch out for
As per ESPNcricinfo, Kapp has claimed 24 powerplay wickets in WPL history - the most for any bowler. While Shafali has 53 maximums in the league, no other batter even has 40 sixes. Jemimah Rodrigues made an unbeaten 51 off 37 balls in her last outing. Satghare took three-fers in both the games she has played this season. Mandhana averages 48 in WPL 2026 as her strike rate reads 140.15.