Smriti Mandhana was a proud captain as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) defeated Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2024 final on Sunday (March 17) to break their 16-year-long trophy drought.
After the triumphant campaign, Mandhana shared a message for the loyal RCB fans that the cup was finally theirs this year and it was not a dream any more.
"I think I have a message for the and I think the most loyal fanbase nothing would have happened without the kind of support they shown throughout. One statement that always comes up is Ee Saala Cup Namde. Finally, I want to say Ee Saala Cup Namdu. It was important to say it for the fans," Mandhaha said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
Coming to the match, RCB defeated DC by eight wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi to clinch their maiden WPL title.
Opting to bat first, DC’s innings folded for a paltry 113 in 18.3 overs despite a blistering 64-run stand between Shafali Verma (44 off 27) and skipper Meg Lanning (23 off 23).
The spin troika of Sophie Molineux (3/20), Shreyanka Patil (4/12) and Asha Sobhana (2/14) ran through the Delhi batting line-up, sharing nine scalps among them.
In reply, Mandhana (31) added 49 runs opening wicket with Sophie Devine (32). After their dismissals, Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh took control of the scene and remained unbeaten on 35 and 17 to see the side through with three deliveries to spare.
When asked about the feeling of winning the title, the RCB skipper said: "It still hasn't sunk in. Will take time. I'm really proud of the team. We stuck together. Happy to get over the line in the finale. We did well in the Bengaluru leg. Came to Delhi and lost two matches. It's great that we made a comeback."
Smriti Mandhana was also thankful to the RCB management for backing and giving her the free hand to build this team.
"The management backed my ideas. They showed full faith in me. All thanks to them. The title win means a lot to the fans. One of my top-5 wins. A World Cup victory would always stay No. 1," she remarked.
(With India Today inputs)
