Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) scripted history after they won their first Women’s Premier League (WPL) trophy on Sunday. They were comprehensive in the final
as they beat the Delhi Capitals (DC)
. This was quite a remarkable turnaround for the Smriti Mandhana-led side since they finished fourth last season with just two wins. Their journey to the final was not a smooth one this time but several players stepped up when needed and they ended up on a triumphant note.

RCB’s journey started at their home ground, the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where they got going with several memorable performances. Drawing support from the fervent fan base established by the RCB men’s team, the women’s side carried forward the momentum and got the better of the DC by eight wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the WPL 2024 summit clash.

After RCB’s remarkable triumph, Bengaluru witnessed a jubilant outpouring of support from fans, who thronged the streets to celebrate the historic victory.
Numerous videos
and pictures have been circulating on social media as the city celebrated late at night. RCB skipper Smriti expressed her gratitude to the loyal fan base in a special message after the victory.

WATCH ANOTHER FAN VIDEO

“I have a message for all the RCB fans, the most loyal fan base. Nothing would have been possible without their support. Ee Sala Cup Namde (The Cup will be ours this time) always comes up, and now I just want to say Ee Sala Cup Namdu (The Cup is ours this time),” she said in the post-match presentation.

RCB spinner Shreyanka Patil, who ended as the top wicket-taker in WPL 2024, with 13 dismissals, echoed similar sentiments of joy and was grateful for the support the team had received from the fans. “They keep saying ‘Ee sala cup namde’ and we got it. That’s it guys, it is for the fans,” said Patil.

Former RCB captain Virat Kohli extended his congratulations to Smriti and the team
via a video call
just before the side lifted the WPL 2024 trophy in Delhi. After the call with the RCB skipper, Kohli extended his heartfelt gratitude to the victorious side
on Instagram
.

Batting first, DC posted 113 runs in the final. RCB, in response, scored the winning runs with three balls to spare. RCB all-rounder Ellyse Perry was the highest scorer (35 not out off 37 balls) for her side in the fixture against DC.