"Tough to take," says Jonathan Batty after DC's WPL final loss; praises Jemimah Rodrigues' captaincy

Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], February 6 (ANI): Delhi Capitals (DC) women's team coach Jonathan Batty said that the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 final loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is "tough to take" but expressed pride in the team's effort and also lauded Jemimah Rodrigues' captaincy.
Delhi Capitals, who are yet to win a WPL trophy despite being runners-up in all four editions held so far, went down to RCB by six wickets in a high-scoring final on Thursday.
DC lost the match despite scoring 203 in the first innings of the WPL 2026 final.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Jonathan Batty described DC's WPL 2026 final loss as "tough to take", praising RCB's Georgia Voll and Smriti Mandhana for their performances.
He expressed pride in his team's effort and fight, noting they remained competitive until the last over, but acknowledged that inconsistencies throughout the game reflected their season as a whole.
"Tough to take. I think having played so well in the eliminator earlier in the week and coming to this game with momentum, obviously, putting a really good score on the board - I was really proud of the way we went about our business with the bat. Twenty overs in, you think, 'Okay, it's a really good wicket, but we've got a good score. If we bowl well here, we've got a really good chance.' So yeah, it's really disappointing to come out on the wrong end of it again. But full credit to RCB. Obviously, those two batters, Georgia Voll and Smriti, played absolutely fantastically," Batty said.
"But I'm really proud of our team's effort. You know, to still be in the game there, where it looked like it was drifting for a period of time, to still be in that last over and lose with only two balls to go. I think we showed a lot of fight, a lot of heart, but I think the game kind of summed up our season, that we did certain bits really well and other bits kind of fell away at times as well," Batty added.
Jonathan Batty expressed pride in Jemimah Rodrigues' captaincy, praising her leadership, experience, and batting contributions throughout the tournament. He highlighted her growth as captain and dedication this season, and said that he looks forward to her impact in the coming years.
Notably, the 2026 season marked Jemimah Rodrigues' first WPL season as a captain, as DC were captained by Meg Lanning in the three previous editions.
"Hugely proud of Jemimah. I think, particularly losing the first couple of games of the tournament, she was probably under quite a bit of pressure there. She brought her energy and her experience to the table. Obviously, batting-wise, she contributed a lot of runs as well through the tournament. I thought she made outstanding decisions as captain throughout the whole tournament. Her leadership grew and grew as we went through it as well. So, we're really proud of the effort she put in. She's thrown her heart and soul into this season, so looking forward to seeing where she takes that over the next few years as well," Jonathan Batty said.
In the WPL final, RCB won the toss and chose to bowl first. Lizelle Lee (37 in 30 balls, with three fours and three sixes) and Shafali Verma (20 in 13 balls, with three fours) put their team to a flying start. A 76-run stand for the third wicket between Jemimah Rodrigues, who played a captain's knock of 57 in 37 balls, with eight fours and Laura Wolvaardt (44 in 35 balls, with three fours and two sixes) brought them back to the game.
Just when RCB threatened to pull things back, Chinelle Henry (35* in 15 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) played a fiery cameo to power DC to 203/4 in 20 overs, the highest in a WPL final.
In the chase, RCB lost Grace Harris (8) early, but a 165-run stand between Smriti (87 in 41 balls, with 12 fours and three sixes) and Georgia Voll (79 in 54 balls, with 14 fours) pierced DC's chances with every hit. DC threatened to pull things back with three quick wickets in the final few overs, but Radha Yadav (12*) and Nadine de Klerk (7*) chased the total with six wickets and two balls in hand.
This chase of 204 runs stands as the highest in WPL and IPL finals, surpassing Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) 200-run chase in the 2014 IPL final against Punjab Kings.
RCB's chase also marks the first time that a target of above 175 has been chased down in any Women's T20 final - leagues or internationals. The total also happens to be the most successful run chase in WPL history, with RCB outdoing their 202 run chase in the 2025 edition against Gujarat Giants. (ANI)