WPL 2026: RCB handed injury blow in opener as Pooja Vastrakar injuries hamstring
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "WPL 2026: RCB handed injury blow in opener as Pooja Vastrakar injuries hamstring")
WPL 2026: RCB handed injury blow in opener as Pooja Vastrakar injuries hamstring Photograph: (BCCI)
Pooja Vastrakar's injury isn’t as serious as feared and will be available for the later part of the season, which will be played in Vadodara. Her injury came into the limelight while on her way to Mumbai from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE).
Royal Challengers Bengaluru kick-started their Women’s Premier League (WPL 2026) campaign on a winning note as they beat defending champions Mumbai Indians in the curtain-raiser clash. Playing at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, RCB got the better of MI by three wickets to start the season on a winning note. However, that win came with a minor cost as star bowler Pooja Vastrakar got injured in her hamstring.
Pooja Vastrakar sidelined with injury
"I think two days prior to her release from the (BCCI's Centre of Excellence), she unfortunately tweaked her hamstring," Malolan Rangarajan, RCB head coach, said at the post-match press conference. "The information we have at the moment is that she's going to [need] two weeks more. It's a hamstring issue. She was there for her shoulder and now it's a hamstring issue. So it's a week-by-week process. So let's see where she's at."
Pooja’s injury isn’t as serious as feared and will be available for the later part of the season, which will be played in Vadodara. Her injury came into the limelight while on her way to Mumbai from the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE).
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What happened in the opening match?
Nadine de Klerk's four-fer, followed by a match-winning half-century, powered RCB to open their account with a win in the opening match. De Klerk slammed 20 runs off the last over to get her side over the line and secure a win by 3 wickets over the defending champions.
Chasing 155, Grace Harris and Smriti Mandhana opened the innings for RCB. The duo took on the charge right from the first over as they took RCB to 40 runs in just 3.4 overs before Mandhana was removed for 18 off 13 balls, including 4 fours.
Earlier, MI ended their 20 overs at 154/6, with Nadine also getting Carey for a 29-ball 40, with four boundaries. Amanjot Kaur and Poonam Khemnar were unbeaten on nil each.
