Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women clinched their second consecutive Women's Premier League title on Thursday, defeating Delhi Capitals Women by 6 wickets in a thrilling final that showcased both individual brilliance and the growing commercial power of women's cricket in India.
Smriti Mandhana led the successful chase with a devastating 87 runs off just 41 balls, while Georgia Voll contributed a composed 79 off 54 deliveries. The pair guided RCB to 204/4 in just 19.4 overs, surpassing Delhi's 203/4 with two balls to spare in Vadodara.
In India, as across the subcontinent, scale and diversity make simple narratives impossible—and fascinating. The WPL, launched just three years ago, has already established itself as the world's most lucrative women's cricket franchise league, with viewership reaching hundreds of millions across the country.
The tournament's rapid growth reflects India's unique cricket ecosystem, where the sport isn't merely popular—it's woven into national culture in ways few other countries can match. When Mandhana smashes boundaries in front of packed stadiums, she's not just playing cricket; she's expanding what's commercially viable for women's sports in the world's second-most populous nation.
RCB's back-to-back championships cement their status as the league's dominant force. The franchise, which shares branding with the men's IPL team, has successfully translated the passionate RCB fan base—one of cricket's largest—to the women's game. Thursday's final drew enthusiastic crowds and trended heavily on social media, with fan engagement metrics rivaling many international men's matches.
The WPL's prize money and player salaries already exceed most other women's cricket leagues globally, attracting top international talent. English seamer Lauren Bell, who took 12 wickets for RCB at an economy rate of 5.52, exemplifies this trend. International stars now view WPL contracts as career-defining opportunities, both financially and competitively.
For Indian women's cricket, the WPL represents a commercial breakthrough decades in the making. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), leveraging its status as cricket's financial powerhouse, has created a sustainable ecosystem with media rights, sponsorships, and fan engagement that other nations are now studying.
The league's timing is particularly significant. As India positions itself as a rising global power economically and geopolitically, success in women's sports becomes part of the national narrative—proof that development extends beyond GDP growth into social progress. The Modi government has actively promoted women's sports, viewing athletic achievement as soft power on the world stage.
RCB's championship also highlights the talent pipeline developing across Indian states. Players from Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and other cricket-rich regions are finding professional pathways that simply didn't exist five years ago. The WPL has created hundreds of professional opportunities for women cricketers, coaches, and support staff.
As the team celebrated on the Vadodara field, confetti falling amid roaring crowds, the scene represented more than sporting triumph. It showcased India's capacity to build world-class sporting infrastructure, monetize popular enthusiasm, and create opportunities for women in a field long dominated by men—all at the scale and speed that defines modern India.
