Home
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Malolan Rangarajan lavished praise on skipper Smriti Mandhana after she led the franchise to their second Women’s Premier League (WPL) title with a match-winning knock in the final against Delhi Capitals. The stylish batter scored 87 off 41 balls as RCB pulled off the highest successful run chase in WPL history, chasing down 204 in 20 overs. Rangarajan also revealed that Mandhana was battling a severe flu during the high-pressure final.
Malolan Rangarajan on Smriti Mandhana's knock in WPL final
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Rangarajan said Mandhana produced one of her finest innings in a WPL final and was in complete control throughout the chase.
“Smriti, I think, saved one of her best innings for the final. The reason why I say that is, yes, she’s been in very good form in the last 12 months or so, but the way she batted today was inhuman. I mean, I don’t even know the word — so classy, so elegant. When you looked at her, you could see that she was in control of what she wanted to do. It didn’t look like a chase that was 200 the way she batted. She was timing the ball, and when she wanted, she was hitting, picking the pockets in which she wanted to attack,” Rangarajan said.
Mandhana played with massive, massive flu: Malolan Rangarajan
The RCB coach further revealed that Mandhana played the final despite being seriously unwell, highlighting her commitment to the team.
“Smriti played this game with a massive, massive flu. She was seriously unwell with a high fever, but again, to turn up and not even show it, nobody in the team, for one second, even noticed it. So, that’s the person she is. When I spoke to her this afternoon, she said, ‘No problem, I’ll be there.’ So, that’s her with her work,” he added.
Malolan Rangarajan on Smriti Mandhana's batting
Rangarajan also described Mandhana as someone who is deeply focused on her batting and always looking to improve.
“She’s a nerd when it comes to her own batting, and I guess that’s why she’s ended up achieving what she’s achieved in life. She’s always looking to improve, always looking to get better at her skill. Smriti always tries, and I think luckily, and fortunately, she cracked the code two days back,” Rangarajan said.
RCB's record-breaking chase
RCB’s chase of 204 runs is now the highest ever in both WPL and IPL finals. It went past Kolkata Knight Riders’ famous 200-run chase in the 2014 IPL final against Punjab Kings.
This was also the first time a target of more than 175 has been successfully chased in any women’s T20 final, whether in leagues or international matches. On top of that, it became the biggest successful chase in WPL history, beating RCB’s own record of 202 runs, which they chased against Gujarat Giants in the 2025 season.
ADVERTISEMENT
