India’s seam-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar is set to join the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) after arriving in Vadodara on Monday. Pooja has been out of competitive action since late 2024 due to a shoulder injury that required surgery in 2025.
She had been undergoing rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bangalore and was expected to join RCB ahead of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026. However, she sustained a hamstring injury two days before her release, necessitating additional recovery time at CoE.
This injury caused the highly-rated 26-year-old to miss the Navi Mumbai leg of WPL 2026. “Pooja has reached Vadodara after receiving clearance from the CoE. Although she was initially scheduled to join RCB tomorrow,
she will now link up with the team immediately after their ongoing game against Gujarat Giants and remain with them for the rest of their WPL 2026 campaign,” sources told IANS on Monday.
Pooja was purchased by RCB for Rs 85 lakh in last year’s mega auction held in New Delhi after not being retained by the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI). Despite her prowess as an all-rounder, Pooja’s career has been affected by various fitness issues, including anterior cruciate ligament problems and a recurring knee injury.
Pooja has played in 72 T20Is for India, taking 58 wickets at an economy rate of 6.39, with best figures of 4-13. She has also scored 332 runs in T20Is. In the WPL, Pooja has played 16 matches for MI, taking seven wickets and scoring 126 runs, and was part of their 2023 title-winning campaign.
Pooja’s availability for the rest of the WPL is expected to bolster RCB’s in-form bowling unit, especially with the 2024 champions on the verge of becoming the first team to qualify for the ongoing season’s playoffs.
(With Agency Inputs)
