She missed the WPL 2025 due to injury.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) pace bowling all-rounder has been ruled out of action for two weeks due to a hamstring injury. The latest WPL 2026 update about the Pooja Vastrakar injury was confirmed by RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan on Friday, January 9, after the team’s opening match of the tournament against Mumbai Indians.
RCB kickstarted their WPL 2026 campaign with a thrilling last-ball win against Mumbai Indians. Nadine de Klerk starred with an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls and a four-wicket haul, but Pooja Vastrakar’s injury meant the RCB all-rounder was unavailable for selection in the season opener.
After the match, RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan provided a Pooja Vastrakar injury update, confirming that she is currently sidelined with a hamstring problem and is expected to be out of action for at least two weeks.
“Pooja Vastrakar was not available for selection [against Mumbai Indians],” Malolan said following RCB’s opening game of WPL 2026.
“Two weeks prior to her release from the CoE (Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru), she unfortunately tweaked her hamstring.The information that we have is that she will be there for two weeks more. Earlier, she was there [at the CoE] for her shoulder, now she has a hamstring issue. It’s a week by week process. So let’s see where she is at,” he added.
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The last time Pooja Vastrakar played a competitive match was on October 13, 2024, in the T20 World Cup against Australia. Since then, she has not played any competitive cricket due to injury. She missed the WPL 2025 and was also not included in the Women’s World Cup 2025 squad. She underwent shoulder surgery last year and has been doing her rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
The hamstring problem is the latest addition to a long list of injuries the pacer has faced in her career, which has kept her out of action for long periods. RCB will be hoping she recovers in time, as she is expected to play an important role for the team in the WPL 2026 season and will strengthen their pace attack.
There is no confirmed return date yet for Pooja Vastrakar, with RCB making it clear that her comeback will depend on how she responds to rehabilitation. The all-rounder is currently recovering from a hamstring issue and is expected to remain sidelined for at least two weeks, according to the team management.
RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan indicated that Pooja Vastrakar’s injury is being assessed on a week-by-week basis, especially given her recent history of fitness concerns. She had only recently been nearing the end of her shoulder rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence before the hamstring problem surfaced, forcing a further delay in her return to competitive cricket.
Given the cautious approach, RCB are unlikely to rush her back, with the focus firmly on ensuring she is fully fit before making her WPL 2026 debut. As things stand, Pooja Vastrakar’s return from injury is expected to come later in the tournament, provided there are no setbacks during her recovery phase.
Pooja Vastrakar played the first two seasons of the WPL for Mumbai Indians. In total, she has played 16 matches, bowled in 12 innings, and taken seven wickets.
With the bat, she scored 126 runs in 11 innings while batting in the lower order. She was later released by Mumbai Indians, and RCB bought her for INR 85 lakh in the WPL 2026 auction.
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