Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore Ladies and Delhi Capitals The women saw a notable absence, with injuries and strategic decisions playing a significant role in shaping the final eleven. As soon as RCB won the toss and decided to bowl first, both the captains – Smriti Mandhana And jemima rodrigues – Highlight why players love it chenille henry And Arundhati Reddy Was unavailable for the competition.
Smriti Mandhana told why Arundhati Reddy is not playing today’s match?
Speaking at the toss, Mandhana highlighted the excitement of the match, crediting the strong crowd presence for the positive energy around the ground. With RCB choosing to field first, Mandhana confirmed three changes to the lineup, one of which was a forced change.
Reddy, a regular part of RCB’s bowling unit, was ruled out due to illness, leading to his inclusion Sayali Satghare. Mandhana made it clear that the team had little choice in the matter, stressing that the health of the players would remain the priority. Along with that change, georgia volume was brought to linsey smithWhereas Prema Rawat Replaced Dayalan HemlataDecisions that were more tactical in nature as RCB looked to maintain balance while bowling first.
Mandhana expressed satisfaction with how the team has adapted so far, noting that the team environment and momentum has helped them make seamless changes despite personnel changes.
“We would like to field first today. We have three changes today. [Georgia] Woll comes for linsey [Smith]love [Rawat] comes for [Dayalan] Hemlata, while Arundhati [Reddy] Unwell, that’s why Sayali [Satghare] comes in,” Mandhana said at the time of toss.
Chinelle Henry sidelined as DC hands debut for Lucy Hamilton
On the other hand, Delhi Capitals captain Rodrigues confirmed that Henry could not play due to the injury he suffered in the last game. Unlike RCB’s illness-related changes, Henry’s absence was precautionary, with the team management deciding not to risk aggravating the injury midway through the tournament.
Rodriguez revealed this lucy hamilton He was included in the XI as a like-for-like replacement, making his WPL debut. The DC skipper praised Hamilton as a composed young player with leadership experience, having captained Australia at the Under-19 level. Rodriguez’s familiarity with Hamilton during his time at the Brisbane Heat also increased his confidence in the newcomer’s preparation for the big stage.
“We have one change. Henry has been out since the last game with injury, and Lucy Hamilton is coming in her place and making her debut tonight. We have played together for Brisbane Heat. She is a young player. She has also captained the Australia Under-19 team.” Rodriguez said.
Contradictory fortunes on the numbers table
These changes come at a crucial juncture for both teams. RCB enter the match unbeaten, having won all three of their matches so far and sit comfortably at the top of the points table. His consistent performance has allowed him to rotate players without disrupting the rhythm.
In contrast, Delhi Capitals find themselves at the bottom with just one win from three matches. Injuries like Henry’s have compounded their struggles, forcing them to test their bench strength and bring in new faces looking for momentum in the tournament.
Playing eleven of both the teams
Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana (c), Georgia Woll, Richa Ghosh (w), Gautami Naik, Nadine de Klerk, Radha Yadav, Prema Rawat, Shreyanka Patil, Sayali Satghare, Lauren Bell
Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): Shafali Verma, Lizelle Lee (wk), Laura Wolvaardt, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Marizanne Kapp, Lucy Hamilton, Sneh Rana, Nikki Prasad, Minnu Mani, Nandini Sharma, Sri Charani.
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.