THE Royal Challengers Bangalore are the Women’s Indian Premier League (WIPL) champions of 2024, after they comprehensively beat the Delhi Capitals to the tune of eight wickets in the final overnight. Delhi was bowled out for 113 before Bangalore took its time but reached the target with three balls to spare.

The Capitals actually made a pretty solid start to its innings, going at about nine an over for the first wicket stand, but once that first wicket fell the wicket floodgates opened.

First wicket to fall and top scorer Shafali Verma (44) could only look on in horror as the Capitals went on to lose 9/49 to completely blow the good start they had, with only three subsequent partnerships making it into double digits.

For the Capitals, Shreyanka Patil was top destroyer with ball-in-hand, while Sophie Molineux also picked up three wickets that all fell in one particularly devastating over that started the cascade of wickets. Sobhana Asha also picked up two wickets.

With such a low tally to chase, speed was certainly not on the mind of Bangalore’s batters as they begun their chase.

The Royal Challengers found themselves with only 49 runs when the first wicket fell in the ninth over, and the run rate did not really pick up from there. Delhi would have perhaps felt a sniff as the end drew nearer, but with the cool, calm and collected heads of Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh at the crease, the Royal Challengers were able to reach the target.

Perry was the top scorer with 35, while earlier openers Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine had both made scores in the 30s.

On the flipside of the equation Shikha Pandey and Minnu Mani were the only Delhi bowlers able to make a breakthrough, picking up a wicket each.

Player of the Match honors went to Molineux for her devastating spell of 3/20 that really got things going for the Royal Challengers.

The awards kept coming for the Royal Challengers’ players, with Perry winning the tournament Orange Cap (most runs) and Patil winning the tournament Purple Cap (most wickets).