Why Toss Happened Before Normal Time in WPL Final 2026?

The 2024 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women (RCB-W) are clashing against the four-time finalists Delhi Capitals Women (DC-W) in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 final on February 5. The match is taking place at the BCA Stadium, Vadodara, where RCB-W captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and opted to bowl first. However, fans were surprised to see the WPL final toss taking place before its usual time.

Why Toss Happened Before Normal Time at 6:40 PM?

The usual time for the toss is 7 pm, and the first ball gets bowled at 7:30 pm. However, for the RCB-W vs DC-W WPL final toss time, there was a slight change as the toss took place at 6:40 pm, 20 minutes before the usual time. But there’s a slight delay for the match to start as the first ball will be bowled at 7:35 pm. The reason behind the change in the timings is mainly due to the closing ceremony, as there will be some performances after the RCB-W vs DC-W WPL Final toss. The closing ceremony of the WPL final 2026 involved performances by Punjabi singer Talwiinder and Bollywood actress Malaika Arora which was done before the first ball being bowled of the WPL final 2026.

Players To Watch For Key Battles in WPL 2026 Final

Both RCB-W and DC-W have some of the star and experienced players in their teams, but there are some players who can be key factors in a must-win game. DC’s Shafali Verma will be tested by the England pacer Lauren Bell in the powerplay. It would be interesting to see whether she will continue her aggressive intent or play carefully. Bell has been exceptional this season and is coming close to becoming one of the players with the most wickets in the WPL.
RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana will be tested by DC’s star spinner Shree Charani, who has been pretty impressive in the fourth edition of the tournament. There would be another battle between the openers of both teams. DC openers Shafali and Lizelle Lee have shown how destructive they can be throughout the season. On the other hand, RCB openers Smriti and Grace Harris have shown intent but have also played sensibly. It would be interesting to see which opening pair will provide a destructive start in the most important match of the tournament.