RCB's Pooja Vastrakar ruled out for two weeks with injury
What's the story
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been sidelined for two weeks due to a hamstring injury. The news was confirmed by RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan after their opening match of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026 against Mumbai Indians on Saturday. "Two weeks prior to her release from the CoE (Center of Excellence in Bengaluru), she unfortunately tweaked her hamstring," said Rangarajan.
Injury details
Vastrakar's injury history and recovery timeline
Rangarajan also revealed that this isn't the first time Vastrakar has faced an injury. He said, "Earlier, she was there [at the CoE] for her shoulder, now she has a hamstring issue." The coach added that it's a week-by-week process and they will see where she is at after two weeks. This suggests, based on the coach's comments, that her recovery could take longer than initially expected.
Match recap
RCB's performance in WPL 2026 opener
Despite Vastrakar's absence, RCB started their WPL 2026 campaign on a high note with a nail-biting last-ball victory over Mumbai Indians. Nadine de Klerk was the star of the match, scoring an unbeaten 63 off just 44 balls to guide her team home with three wickets in hand. The win came as a major boost for RCB.
Information
Here are her WPL stats
Having played 16 WPL games for Mumbai Indians in the past seasons, Vastrakar owns seven wickets in the league at an economy of 7.08. The tally also includes 126 runs at a strike rate of 116.66.
Another injury
Mumbai Indians's Hayley Matthews also misses out
Along with Vastrakar, Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hayley Matthews was also unavailable for the opening match due to a shoulder injury. Head coach Lisa Keightley confirmed the news, saying "Unfortunately, her shoulder isn't great. While training, she got a slight strain and she's really close (to play)." The absence of these key players from both teams added to the intensity of the tournament's first match, based on the context provided in the source article.