New Delhi, Jan 19 (NationPress) India's talented seam-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar is poised to join the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after her arrival in Vadodara on Monday. Pooja has been absent from competitive play since late 2024 due to a shoulder injury that necessitated surgery in 2025.

She had been in rehabilitation at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and was originally set to reunite with RCB ahead of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2026. Unfortunately, just two days prior to her release, she sustained a hamstring injury, requiring additional recovery time at CoE.

This injury caused the highly regarded Pooja, now 26, to miss the Navi Mumbai leg of WPL 2026. “Pooja has arrived in Vadodara following clearance from the CoE. Although she was planned to join RCB tomorrow, she will now connect with the team right after their current match against Gujarat Giants concludes and will stay with them for the remainder of their WPL 2026 season,” sources informed IANS on Monday.

Pooja was acquired by the 2024 champions RCB for Rs 85 lakh during last year’s mega auction in New Delhi after being let go by the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI). Despite being one of the most dynamic all-rounders in the sport, Pooja's career has faced challenges due to various fitness issues, including anterior cruciate ligament complications and a recurring knee injury.

To date, Pooja has played in 72 T20Is for India, claiming 58 wickets at an economy rate of 6.39, with her best performance being 4-13. She has also contributed 332 runs in T20Is. In the WPL, Pooja has participated in 16 matches for MI, taking seven wickets and scoring 126 runs, and she was part of their 2023 championship-winning squad.

Pooja’s return is expected to bolster RCB’s strong bowling unit, particularly as the 2024 champions are on the brink of becoming the first team to secure a playoff spot in the ongoing season.