Women’s Premier League: Friends turn rivals for an evening as Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues aim to come out on top in final | Cricket News
Asked during the pre-match press conference if there was a particular moment on or off the field when things started to change for her and Delhi Capitals (DC) after a tough start to the season, captain Jemimah Rodrigues had a smile on her face. She looked to her left and whispered to Smriti Mandhana, her close friend for years and opposing captain in Thursday’s Women’s Premier League final, “Should I say it?”
“No!” said Mandhana, and they both broke into laughter.
Whatever that little story is between them stays a secret for now, but it was just another reminder of how much Rodrigues and Mandhana lean on each other for support. An emotional Rodrigues spoke after her epic World Cup semifinal century against Australia about how Mandhana’s mere presence during the nets session was a morale-booster for her during a tough phase when she was briefly dropped from the team. And more recently, when Mandhana’s wedding was cancelled, Rodrigues stayed back to be by her side and not return to Australia for her Women’s Big Bash League stint.
Come the big final in Vadodara, though, the friendship will hit a brief pause. Both players are key to their respective sides’ fortunes, with Mandhana’s solidity at the top of the order a cornerstone for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s stunning league phase run and Rodrigues’ recent upturn in form powering Delhi to the final via the scenic route.
Leading the charge with eyes locked on the ultimate goal 🏆
Captains @mandhana_smriti and @JemiRodrigues are all set for the #Final battle in Vadodara. Who will take the coveted trophy home tomorrow ? ❤️💙#TATAWPL | #ClaimTheCrown | @RCBTweets | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/MINmkFsy3Z
— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 4, 2026
Mandhana’s been here before; with her ‘Ee Sala Cup Namdu’ phrase (this year, the trophy is finally ours), she ended the franchise’s long, often heartbreaking, wait for a T20 league triumph in 2024. Since then, the men’s team has gone on to win the IPL as well.
The fourth edition of WPL has seen RCB dominate the league phase, with multiple match-winners stepping up in different situations to bail them out of difficult situations. After starting the season with five straight wins and assuring themselves a spot in the playoffs way ahead of any other team, RCB had a couple of missteps but ended with another strong win against UP Warriorz.
Rodrigues’ been here before as well, but not as the leader. And certainly not the way DC played this year. In the past three editions, they dominated the league phase, finished atop every single time to directly qualify for the final but faltered at the final hurdle. Over those three years, Rodrigues was Meg Lanning’s understudy, but having taken over from the Australian legend, she took some time to get going in this tournament both as a leader and as a batter.
“I was trying way too hard,” Rodrigues said. “And the last two games, I just let go. I backed myself, didn’t even go and practise because I was practising so hard, trying to hit every ball perfectly and get everything right. Then I remembered one of the interviews I heard. It’s like the butterfly; the more desperate you are, the further it goes away. But the more you just let go, it comes and sits on your shoulder,” she said after her player-of-the-match performance against Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator.
2⃣ leaders 🫡
1⃣ iconic trophy 🏆Who will get their hands on the #TATAWPL 2026 title tomorrow? 🤩#ClaimTheCrown | #RCBvDC | #Final | @RCBTweets | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/a2YVFd7izL
— Women’s Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 4, 2026
DC come into the final on the back of three high-pressure games within a week, which means they’d have momentum and are warmed up for battle. Meanwhile, RCB have been out of action for a week, watching from afar as the remaining teams battled it out. In that period, the players went on a short trip to Goa to unwind, in order to ensure they were not sitting idly and allowing their brains to over-think about the title clash. “I’m really happy that everyone had that break and enjoyed it with each other and came back very fresh. And again, looking forward to the final because sometimes sitting in the hotel room, not doing much, can cause a lot of over-thinking,” Mandhana said.
It’s a positive spin from Mandhana, but as Lanning’s DC found out last year in the final, coming to the final cold could potentially backfire.
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On paper, the teams are evenly matched; DC took their time to figure out their best processes while RCB were at it from the word go. Both sides have match-winners aplenty, too. And on Thursday, only one of the ‘Wrong Sisters’ – a moniker for Mandhana and Rodrigues – would be holding the trophy, at which point the other would gladly cheer the victor on.
