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Key Takeaways
- 1📊 Pooja Vastrakar will miss around two weeks of WPL 2026 action
- 2🏆 RCB lose a key new-ball quick just after a morale-boosting opening win
- 3💡 Another setback extends her return from over a year out injured
- 4🔮 Smooth rehab could see her back mid-league, crucial for India plans
"Misfortune strikes RCB fast bowler Pooja Vastrakar, who was on the road to recovery from a shoulder injury but now needs more time"
A fresh injury setback has hit Pooja Vastrakar and Royal Challengers Bengaluru just as the WPL 2026 season kicked off, with the India quick ruled out for the first two weeks due to a hamstring strain.
The timing could not be more frustrating for the seamer, who has already spent over a year away from competitive cricket while nursing a shoulder injury. RCB, who finally look like a settled unit, now have to navigate the early phase of the tournament without one of their key new-ball options.
RCB’s plans jolted after perfect opening night
The blow comes barely days after RCB opened their campaign in style, beating defending champions Mumbai Indians in the tournament opener and giving their fanbase genuine hope of a deep run this season. Vastrakar’s hit-the-deck pace and lower-order hitting were central to that long-term plan, especially on truer batting surfaces.
In the short term, the management will have to lean harder on their other Indian quicks and overseas seam options, while carefully managing workloads in the unforgiving WPL schedule. For India fans, the bigger concern is the pattern: another soft-tissue setback for a fast bowler who should be central to white-ball plans over the next cycle.
If the rehab goes smoothly, Vastrakar is expected to rejoin the side midway through the league stage, but any recurrence could put both her WPL and international comeback in serious doubt. For now, RCB have banked the early momentum; the challenge is sustaining it without one of their most dynamic quicks.
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