Navi Mumbai, 10 January (H.S.): Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) pace bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out of competitive cricket for the next two weeks due to a hamstring injury, as confirmed by RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan following Friday's Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 opener against Mumbai Indians.
Rangarajan explained, “Pooja Vastrakar was unavailable for selection against Mumbai Indians. About two weeks prior to her release from the Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, she unfortunately suffered a hamstring strain. Based on our information, she requires another two weeks for recovery. She had previously been at CoE addressing a shoulder issue, and now faces this hamstring setback. It's a week-by-week process, so we will closely monitor her progress.”
Amid the setback, RCB launched their WPL 2026 campaign triumphantly, edging Mumbai Indians by three wickets off the final ball, propelled by Nadine de Klerk's unbeaten 63 off 44 balls as the match-winner.Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, absorbed a pre-match blow when all-rounder Hayley Matthews sat out with a shoulder injury.
Head coach Lisa Keightley stated, “Unfortunately, her shoulder isn't fully healed yet. She felt a slight strain during training. She was quite close to playing, but today's match proved a tad premature. We'll assess how she feels tomorrow, and if fit, she could feature in the next game.”
Following their nail-biting defeat in the tournament's curtain-raiser, defending champions Mumbai Indians face Delhi Capitals at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Saturday.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
