WPL 2026 Final – A Tactical Preview

Delhi Capitals have consistently dominated the league stage, finishing top for three consecutive seasons, only to falter in the final. This season, they advanced via the Eliminator against Gujarat Giants to reach their fourth straight final. Historically, the Eliminator winner has gone on to win the WPL all three previous times. Can DC break their final jinx against a balanced RCB side?

RCB's season has been turbulent: five consecutive wins were followed by losses to MI and DC, before a crucial victory over UPW secured their final spot. Key contributions came from Nadine de Klerk's middle-overs bowling, Richa Ghosh's timely runs, and Grace Harris's dominance against UPW. A standout has been Lauren Bell's disciplined, varied powerplay bowling.

DC holds a slight head-to-head advantage, winning six of nine encounters against RCB. At this venue, each team has won one game against the other. This season, all five of DC's wins came while chasing, whereas RCB won four chasing and two defending.

Venue Insights: Vadodara (BCA Kotambi Stadium)

Both teams have strong records in Vadodara. RCB won four of six games here, while DC won six of eight. This season, RCB had two wins and two losses here, while DC turned their form around, winning four of five games in the Vadodara leg.

The pitch in Vadodara has favored spinners more than the DY Patil Stadium. Spinners took 55 wickets in 10 games here at an average of 23.7 and an economy of 7.75, compared to 49 wickets at 37.14 average in Navi Mumbai. However, seamers have been crucial for both sides: Nandani Sharma has 16 wickets for DC, and Nadine de Klerk has 15 for RCB.

Pace vs Spin at Vadodara in WPL 2026

The average first-innings score in Vadodara this season is 157. The average winning first-innings score is 174, with wins evenly split between batting first and chasing. High scores have been defended: targets over 160 were successfully chased only once in five attempts, while targets under 160 were chased comfortably four out of five times.

WPL 2026 Games at Vadodara

• Target > 160: Instances 5 | Won 1 | Lost 4
• Target < 160: Instances 5 | Won 4 | Lost 1

Pacers have dominated the powerplay here, taking 29 wickets at an average of 23.32 and an economy of 6.41. They have been more effective in the first innings (16 wickets, Avg: 20.75, ER: 6.01) than the second (13 wickets, Avg: 26.46, ER: 6.85). RCB pacers have taken 36 wickets at an average of 18.5, striking every 15.6 balls with an economy of 7.07. DC seamers have taken 38 wickets at an average of 20.55 and economy of 7.63. Both teams' pacers took 13 powerplay wickets each, but RCB's have a better average (17.4) and economy (5.8) compared to DC's (Avg: 24.07, ER: 6.05).

Marizanne Kapp has been the best powerplay bowler this season, taking 7 wickets at an average of 20.7 and economy of 5.37. RCB's new-ball pair, Lauren Bell and Sayali Satghare, are among the top five powerplay wicket-takers, each with six wickets and economies of 5.47 and 7.6 respectively.

Team Bowling Breakdown: Pace vs Spin in WPL 2026

Opening Battles

Smriti Mandhana's consistency provides RCB a solid platform, complemented by the aggressive Grace Harris. For DC, Shafali Verma's explosiveness can set an early tone, putting pressure on RCB.

RCB and DC are the only teams to use a single opening pair all season. Their opening partnerships are the only ones to aggregate over 300 runs in WPL 2026:

• Mandhana and Harris (RCB): 382 runs at 47.9, with two century stands.
• Shafali and Lee (DC): 361 runs at 40.11, with three 50+ stands.

Opening Partnership Stats This Season

Both teams are among the top scoring sides in the powerplay. Shafali Verma is the highest run-getter in this phase, striking at 131.0 with an average of 43.25; 72% of her runs this season have come in the powerplay. Grace Harris strikes at 172 in the powerplay, while Lizzelle Lee has 167 runs at a strike rate of 133.6.

Key Player Matchups

Shafali Verma vs RCB: 359 runs in nine innings at an average of 44.87 and strike rate of 167, including four half-centuries.
Smriti Mandhana vs DC: 376 runs at an average of 41.8 with four fifties.

Marizanne Kapp vs RCB Batters:
Kapp has dismissed Grace Harris in both meetings this season (in 13 balls). Historically, she has dismissed Harris seven times and Mandhana six times in T20s.

Lauren Bell vs DC Top Order:
Bell took 3/26 in the first meeting this season, dismissing Shafali, Lee, and Wolvaardt once each. She has had the upper hand against Shafali (74 off 71 balls, two dismissals) and Jemimah Rodrigues (dismissed three times in 44 balls).

Spin Dynamics

Spinners have been less impactful than seamers this season. In Vadodara, they took 27 wickets in the first innings (Avg: 23.7, ER: 7.71) and 28 in the second (Avg: 23.71, ER: 7.79), showing slightly more effectiveness in middle overs (7-15) during second innings.

RCB have struggled in the middle overs (7-15), with their spinners conceding 7.3 runs per over and striking every 23 balls. DC's middle-overs batting against spin has been steady, scoring at 6.99 an over with an average of 26.07.

Off-Spin Matchups:
RCB batters average only 28.71 against right-arm off-spin, losing seven wickets to this style, making DC's off-spinners Minnu Mani and Sneh Rana potential threats. Conversely, RCB have dominated left-arm orthodox, scoring 135 runs for just one wicket.

RCB's off-spinners, led by Shreyanka Patil (11 wickets), have taken 13 wickets at an average of 20.5, striking every 15 balls. DC's off-break bowlers have managed only nine wickets at an expensive average of 41.7.

RCB spinner Linsey Smith has favorable matchups against several DC batters: dismissing Wolvaardt three times in 41 balls, Kapp four times in 50 balls, and Rodrigues three times in 16 balls. However, Lizzelle Lee has countered her effectively (106 off 76 balls, one dismissal). With Georgia Voll struggling (91 runs at 22.75 in five games), RCB might consider bringing Smith back to exploit DC's right-handed top order, which has faced 95.36% of the balls bowled to them.

Smriti Mandhana vs Off-Spin:
Mandhana has shown vulnerability to off-spin. In WPL history, she has been dismissed by off-spinners 14 times, including twice by Minnu Mani (in 24 balls) and once by Sneh Rana (in 22 balls). This season, she has fallen to off-spin three times in 46 balls. DC may introduce off-spin early in the powerplay to target this weakness.

Mandhana vs RA Off-Spin in WPL 2026: 68 runs off 46 balls, three dismissals, Average: 22.7, Strike Rate: 147.8.