DC's playoffs scramble meets RCB's cruise in Vadodara

With more than half the league stage done, Delhi Capitals find themselves only one spot ahead of the bottom-placed UP Warriorz in this season of Women's Premier League. For a team that has secured direct qualification to the finals in each of the first three seasons as group toppers, it's an unfamiliar position to be in.

Even as they kickstarted the Vadodara leg with a victory, five games in, the absence of Annabel Sutherland is felt. The balance in both the batting and the bowling department is yet to be filled. The experiment to lengthen the batting order by including Deeya Yadav in place of Minnu Mani in the previous game - hoping Shafali Verma could offer the supporting overs - is yet to see its desired result.

With only three games left in their bid for a place in the playoffs, DC run into the inform and the unbeaten Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a side that has already sealed qualification. Moreover, despite being hit by a spate of injuries and absence, except the tournament opener, each of their victories have been performances of thumping dominance, including the eight-wicket win they registered the last time they faced Delhi Capitals.

To make their case stronger, Pooja Vastrakar, who was recovering from a hamstring injury, has joined the squad. With Radha Yadav strengthening her case as a batter, Vastrakar's return could lead to some tinkering with the line-up. Georgia Voll hasn't quite set the tournament on fire, and RCB's insistence on using Linsey Smith's bowling in the powerplay could find a stronger case now.

In all this luxury that RCB have to experiment ahead of the playoffs, with their place secured in the next round, Capitals could find an opportunity to secure their third win of the season. With only three games left, time is running out for them to even make a bid for a place in the playoffs. The only good news is that barring RCB, the rest of the teams too find themselves clubbed in a similar traffic.

When: Saturday, January 24, 2026, 7:30 IST

Where: Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Delhi Capitals, Match 15, BCA Stadium, Kotambi

What to expect: Run scoring hasn't been easy on the slow track of Kotambi in the first three games of Vadodara leg. There has also been some assistance for the pacers early on with the new ball. Both captains believe a score above 160 would be good.

Team News:

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Pooja Vastrakar, who has recovered from a hamstring injury, has joined the RCB squad. With the playoffs qualification sealed, RCB could be tempted to offer some gametime to the hard-hitting all-rounder. There is no update on the availability of Arundhati Reddy, who missed the last two games.

Probable XI: Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Voll, Gautami Naik, Richa Ghosh (wk), Nadine de Klerk, Pooja Vastrakar, Radha Yadav, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare/Arundhati Reddy, Lauren Bell

Delhi Capitals:Despite a winning start to the Vadodara leg with a lengthier batting order, Delhi Capitals could be tempted to consider the option of bringing Minnu Mani back into the XI with Deeya Yadav now ruled out with injury. DC have also Mamatha Madiwala out for the tournament and have roped in Hyderabad seamer Eddla Srujana and Punjab all-rounder Pragati Singh have been roped in as replacements. It remains to be seen if either player is thrown into the hotseat straight away.

Probable XI:Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, Nikki Prasad, Lucy Hamilton, Sneh Rana, Shree Charani, Nandni Sharma

What they said:

"I've played a lot on such pitches growing up. So I know how it works. Having the clarity of giving myself those 10 balls and then looking at what to do, because once you're set, it's easier to score here." - Jemimah Rodrigues, DC captain, on the Vadodara pitch.

"I think 160 plus is a good total. Anything above that is a bonus but if we aim at 160 plus, I think we'll be able to defend it with the wickets which we have." -Smriti Mandhana, RCB skipper.