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The trend of teams opting to chase continued in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2025, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to field against Delhi Capitals (DC). Mandhana explained that expected dew in the second innings influenced the decision, as teams batting second have had a significant advantage in the tournament so far. Notably, all three matches in WPL 2025 were won by teams chasing before this game.
Team changes: RCB brings in Ekta Bisht, DC at full strength
RCB made a tactical change, bringing in experienced left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht instead of leg spinner Prema Rawat, who had picked up 1 for 26 in two overs in the previous match against Gujarat Giants (GT). Meanwhile, Delhi received a boost as they fielded a full-strength squad for the first time in WPL 2025, following illness-related absences in their opening game. All-rounders Marizanne Kapp and Jess Jonassen returned to the XI, replacing Alice Capsey and Niki Prasad. Prasad, who led India to victory in the U-19 Women’s World Cup, had been Player of the Match against Mumbai Indians (MI) but had to make way for the returning overseas stars.
Why did Delhi Capitals field 5 overseas players against RCB in WPL 2025?
Delhi made a significant tactical decision in their match against RCB by including five overseas players in their playing XI, a deviation from the traditional four-player overseas rule seen in the men’s Indian Premier League (IPL). However, this was not a violation of any regulations, as the WPL has a special rule that allows a team to field five overseas players if one of them is from an Associate Member nation.
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“A Franchisee shall not name more than 4 Overseas players in its starting XI for any Match. A Franchisee may, however, name up to 1 Overseas player from Associate Nations in its starting XI for any match, who will not be considered as an Overseas player for that Match. To clarify, if a Franchisee includes 2 Overseas players from Associate Nations in its starting XI for a match, then 1 of these players will not be considered as an Overseas player while the other player will be considered as an Overseas player,” the law 1.2.6 reads.
Breaking down DC’s 5 overseas players against RCB
In the match, Delhi’s five overseas players are:
- Meg Lanning (Australia – Full Member nation)
- Marizanne Kapp (South Africa – Full Member nation)
- Annabel Sutherland (Australia – Full Member nation)
- Jess Jonassen (Australia – Full Member nation)
- Sarah Bryce (Scotland – Associate Member nation)
