RCB Women WPL, When the Women’s Premier League (WPL) kicked off, one name instantly grabbed attention: RCB Women, officially Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women. If you’ve followed the men’s IPL even casually, you already know the emotional roller-coaster the RCB brand brings. The women’s team stepped into that same spotlight, carrying the weight of history, hype, and a fiercely loyal fan base that never stops chanting “RCB, RCB!”
But this isn’t just another spin-off franchise story. RCB Women team have carved their own identity, gone from “hyped but unproven” to genuine champions, and in the process, rewritten how fans talk about women’s T20 cricket in India. Let’s dive into their journey, their records, their stars, and what the future might look like.
Origin of RCB Women in the WPL
The WPL was created with one clear aim: give women cricketers a high-quality, franchise-based T20 platform, something that could stand alongside the IPL in terms of visibility and standards. Naturally, when franchises were announced, the RCB brand felt like a no‑brainer.
RCB Women picked up the Bengaluru-based rights and immediately became one of the headline teams. Why? Because the men’s side had already built a massive culture—packed stadiums, global fans, viral chants, and that “always entertaining, occasionally heartbreak” reputation. Fans were curious: could the women’s team go one better and actually bring home silverware?
Owned by the same group as the men’s side, RCB Women enjoyed ready access to top-class infrastructure, marketing muscle, and an already engaged fan ecosystem. On the cricket side, they were led by star India opener Smriti Mandhana as captain, with Malolan Rangarajan guiding them as head coach. That mix of a young, progressive Indian leader and seasoned global stars laid the foundation of a fresh but familiar RCB identity.
Early Seasons: Hype, Hope, and Hard Lessons
RCB Women WPL, If you’ve followed RCB long enough, you know the script: huge names, a lot of expectations, and then… inconsistency. The women’s team wasn’t spared that storyline in their first seasons. On paper, they looked stacked. On the field, though, results didn’t always match the promise.
There were games where the batting exploded and others where the middle order just fell away. Some days the bowlers nailed their plans, and on other days they struggled at the death. Fans and media were quick to ask: “Is this going to be the same old RCB story again?”
Instead of tearing it all down and starting from scratch, the franchise did something smart. They stayed patient, backed their core players, and focused on building a settled, confident unit rather than overreacting after every setback. Those early, messy seasons were basically their crash course in what it really takes to win a high-pressure T20 league.
The Breakthrough: RCB Women’s First WPL Title
Then came the 2023/24 WPL season—the turning point. This is the chapter that changed everything.
RCB Women finally put together a complete campaign and went all the way to lift the WPL 2023/24 title. For the RCB ecosystem, it was more than just a trophy; it was history. This was the first major title under the RCB banner across both men’s and women’s teams. For long-suffering RCB faithful, it felt like a long, dusty trophy cabinet had finally been opened.
That title run wasn’t accidental. It was built on three key pillars:
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Explosive batting at the top and in the middle overs.
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Improved death bowling, with better execution under pressure.
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Sharper tactics, especially in crunch moments.
Smriti Mandhana’s leadership evolved dramatically during this campaign. You could see her grow with each match—reading conditions better, rotating bowlers smarter, and taking bold calls when it mattered. Alongside her, seasoned overseas campaigners like Ellyse Perry provided composure with the bat and crucial overs with the ball.
The result? RCB Women didn’t just win games; they flipped the narrative. Suddenly, RCB weren’t “trophyless” anymore—at least not on the women’s side. And that changed how both fans and critics looked at the entire franchise.
RCB Women’s Record-Breaking Form in Recent Seasons
RCB Women WPL, You know that feeling when a team goes from being “dangerous on their day” to “consistently hard to beat”? That’s what RCB Women have turned into after their title-winning season.
In the 2024–25 and 2025–26 campaigns, they’ve stayed among the most competitive sides, regularly in the playoff mix and frequently at the heart of key WPL storylines. One of their standout achievements came in the 2025–26 season, when they carved their name into the record books by becoming the first WPL team to win six matches in a row.
They had earlier matched Mumbai Indians Women with a five-match winning streak in 2024–25, but this six-game surge took them out in front on their own. That run featured:
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Dominant all-round displays.
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Consistent 150-plus totals.
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Confident defenses where bowlers controlled the game from the middle overs onwards.
The batting unit has been relentless. In one memorable match, Richa Ghosh smashed a blazing 90, powering RCB to a historic milestone as they became the first side to regularly cross 150+ scores across multiple games in a single season. Over time, they’ve gone past 200 several times, underlining an aggressive T20 blueprint built on intent and power.
Aggregated stats paint a clear picture:
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Over 3000 team runs across their WPL outings.
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A highest team total north of 200.
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A healthy overall strike rate above 130, which is elite in franchise T20 leagues.
Bowling Attack: From Weak Link to Winning Edge
For a long time, the stereotype around RCB teams—men or women—was simple: great batters, questionable bowling. RCB Women have worked hard to flip that script.
Instead of banking on just one strike bowler, they’ve built a balanced attack where both seamers and spinners play crucial roles. Across roughly 20–26 matches, their bowling group has picked up more than 100 wickets, including several four‑ and five‑wicket hauls. That ability to run through line‑ups is what separates contenders from true champions.
A standout in the 2025–26 season has been Nadine de Klerk, the South African all-rounder who grabbed the purple cap at one stage for most wickets in the tournament. Her mix of discipline, clever change-ups, and fearless attitude at the death made her a go-to option whenever the captain needed a breakthrough or control.
Importantly, RCB Women’s bowlers now complement the batting rather than simply follow it. When the batters put up 160–180, the attack has shown it can defend those scores regularly, even on flat decks where margins for error are thin.
Smriti Mandhana: The Face and Nerve of RCB Women
Every great franchise needs a central figure, a player who defines its style and spirit. For RCB Women, that person is unquestionably Smriti Mandhana.
As a left-handed opener, she brings elegance and aggression in equal measure. Her cover drives are already iconic, but in the WPL, she’s consciously added more power-hitting to her game. Mandhana has openly spoken about evolving her T20 style—working on range-hitting, finding more boundary options, and adapting to different phases of an innings.
As captain, she does more than toss the coin and set fields. She acts as the emotional anchor of the side, dealing with the constant noise around the RCB brand while shielding younger players from pressure. Under her leadership:
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RCB Women have developed a fearless yet calculated approach.
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Younger Indian players have grown in confidence.
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Tactical calls have sharpened, especially in tight finishes.
In many ways, Mandhana has become to RCB Women what some iconic captains have been to their IPL franchises: the central storyline and the steady heartbeat.
Ellyse Perry and the Overseas Influence
RCB Women WPL, If Mandhana is the face of RCB Women, Ellyse Perry has often been the soul. The Australian superstar brings a rare combination of world-class skill and calm, seasoned leadership.
Batting in the middle order, Perry offers stability when early wickets fall and acceleration when the platform is set. With the ball, she chips in with crucial overs that break partnerships or dry up runs. But her biggest value might actually lie off the scorecard.
Her professionalism, preparation routines, and game awareness have left a lasting imprint on the dressing room. Young players frequently talk about how much they pick up just by watching her train—little things like recovery methods, reading pitches, or planning an innings.
Even in seasons when Perry has been unavailable or limited by workload management, the mindset she helped instill has stayed. That’s the mark of a true culture shaper: the team carries your standards even when you’re not on the field.
Supporting Cast: Young Guns and Impact Players
RCB Women WPL, No T20 title is won by just two or three big names. RCB Women’s success story is also about a rising group of Indian talents blended with high-impact overseas specialists.
Some of the key contributors include:
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Richa Ghosh: A wicketkeeper-batter with fearless intent, she has become one of the most dangerous finishers in the league. Her 90-run blitz in one match didn’t just change the result; it changed how opponents look at RCB’s lower-middle order.
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Shreyanka Patil: A domestic all-rounder who offers crucial overs and handy runs, perfectly suited to the flexible demands of franchise T20.
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Sayali Satghare: Another domestic name who has chipped in with important cameos and disciplined spells when the team needed depth.
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Lauren Bell: The tall English pacer who adds variety and bounce to the pace unit, particularly effective with the new ball.
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Nadine de Klerk: An all-rounder whose wickets and lower-order hitting make her one of the most valuable multi-dimensional players in the squad.
This kind of blend—Indian youth plus experienced overseas pros—gives RCB Women real squad depth. They can customize their XI based on conditions without feeling like they’re weakening the side.
Typical RCB Women XI: Flexible and Fearless
So what does a standard RCB Women line-up look like when they’re close to full strength? Here’s a typical structure they often lean on:
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Smriti Mandhana (c) – Top-order anchor, aggressive stroke-maker, and tactical leader.
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S Meghana – Busy top-order player who rotates strike well and can clear the infield.
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Ellyse Perry – Middle-order rock and reliable seam-bowling option.
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Richa Ghosh (wk) – Explosive finisher and sharp wicketkeeper.
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Shreyanka Patil / Nadine de Klerk – Domestic or overseas all-rounder, depending on balance.
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Lauren Bell and other pacers – New-ball threat, backed by spinners and utility bowlers for middle-overs control.
This combination gives them flexibility:
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On flat batting tracks, they can stack the batting and push an all-out aggressive template.
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On pitches that assist bowlers, they can bring in an extra specialist and trust the top six to deliver the bulk of the runs.
In modern T20 cricket, that ability to slightly reshape the XI without losing identity is a massive edge.
Fan Base, Brand Value, and the RCB Aura
RCB Women WPL, Let’s be honest: few franchises in world cricket enjoy the kind of emotional connection RCB does with its supporters. The women’s team has plugged directly into that energy—and in some ways, amplified it.
The “RCB, RCB” chants at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium are famous, but what’s special about RCB Women is how those chants follow them even to supposedly “neutral” venues. The brand’s digital presence—behind-the-scenes videos, fun content, and honest interviews—helps fans connect with the players beyond just what happens between the ropes.
Winning the WPL 2023/24 title did wonders for the brand. RCB Women are no longer just “the women’s wing of a popular men’s franchise.” They’re recognized as champions in their own right. Sponsors see them as a premium property. Broadcasters know that RCB games pull eyeballs. International players look at them as a serious cricketing project, not just a marketing vehicle.
Add Bengaluru’s reputation as a cricket-crazy city, and you get a genuine home advantage. Packed stands, loud support, and a crowd that understands the game—it all feeds into the players’ confidence.
Tracking RCB Women: Stats, Fixtures, and More
In a data-driven era, fans and analysts want more than just match results—they want context, numbers, and trends. If you’re trying to follow RCB Women’s journey season by season, the ESPNcricinfo team page for Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women is your best friend.
There, you can easily find:
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Updated fixtures and results.
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Batting and bowling averages.
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Individual and team records, including strike rates, economy rates, and partnerships.
It’s the perfect way to see how players like Mandhana, Perry, Ghosh, or de Klerk evolve over time—not just in highlight reels, but through consistent performances.
Challenges Ahead in an Increasingly Competitive WPL
Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. As the WPL grows, every franchise is sharpening its game, and RCB Women know they can’t rely on past glory.
Heavyweights like Mumbai Indians Women and Delhi Capitals Women have strong cores, smart scouting, and a clear understanding of their best combinations. To keep pace—or stay ahead—RCB must continue to evolve. Some of their key challenges include:
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Developing more Indian match-winners: While overseas stars add quality, long-term dominance in a league like the WPL usually comes from a strong Indian core. RCB will want more homegrown players to become game-changers, not just role players.
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Nailing death bowling consistently: On batting-friendly pitches, defending par scores is an art. They’ve improved, but there’s still room to tighten execution at the back end, especially against power-packed line-ups.
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Managing workloads and injuries: All-rounders, in particular, carry heavy workloads. Rotating smartly, using the full squad, and keeping players fresh across long tournaments will be vital.
The encouraging part? RCB clearly doesn’t treat the women’s setup as a short-term experiment. Their recruitment, support staff structures, and long-term messaging all point to a sustained, serious investment in women’s cricket.
Future Outlook: Can RCB Women Build a Dynasty?
So, what’s next? Can RCB Women turn one historic title and a few record-breaking seasons into a sustained era of dominance?
They certainly have the building blocks:
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A settled leadership group with Smriti Mandhana at the helm.
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A fan base that shows up in numbers and backs them through thick and thin.
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A growing list of records and milestones, including that six-match winning streak and multiple 200-plus totals.
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A clear, aggressive T20 philosophy that fits modern cricket.
The key will be evolution, not revolution. If they can:
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Keep unearthing and backing young Indian talent.
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Maintain a strong overseas core that adds value on and off the field.
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Adapt tactically to new trends—like match-ups, impact roles, and data-driven strategies—
then RCB Women have every chance of remaining one of the flagship teams of the WPL for years. They’ve already shown they can lift trophies. The next challenge is to keep lifting standards.
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Conclusion
RCB Women WPL, RCB Women have done more than just add another logo to the WPL. They’ve breathed fresh life into a beloved but often heartbroken fan base, turned hype into hardware, and proven that the RCB badge can be synonymous with winning, not just entertainment.
From their formation and early stumbles to that breakthrough WPL 2023/24 title and the record-breaking six-match winning streak, their journey has had everything: drama, resilience, and growth. Led by Smriti Mandhana, fueled by icons like Ellyse Perry, and backed by a passionate army of fans, Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women have become a powerhouse brand and a serious cricketing force.
As the WPL evolves, one thing feels certain: whenever RCB Women take the field, the spotlight will follow. And if their recent trajectory is anything to go by, they’re only just getting started.
