Indian all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has said that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) strongly supported her during the difficult period when she was battling injury concerns. Last year, RCB picked up Vastrakar in the Women’s Premier League mega auction while she was still recovering from a shoulder injury.

She suffered an injury during the Women’s T20 World Cup in 2024, following which she underwent surgery in March 2025. As a result, she missed the entire 2025 WPL season and was later released by Mumbai Indians despite being one of the leading fast-bowling all-rounders in the country.

RCB endorsed his potential despite his fitness struggles and bought him in the auction for Rs 85 lakh. Vastrakar revealed that the franchise did not put pressure on him to start bowling immediately. Instead, they focused on utilizing his batting abilities and gave him time to ease back into a full bowling workload, giving him confidence and space during the comeback phase.

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“He spoke to me in very simple terms and told me that if my bowling was not coming as expected, it was okay. He said, ‘You are a batting all-rounder; we need your batting.’ That assurance gave me a lot of confidence and they kept supporting me throughout the tournament,” Vastrakar told India Today in an interview organized by the Madhya Pradesh Premier League.

Vastrakar said, “Absolutely. Everyone there, not just Anya (Shrubsole), but also our head coach (Malolan Rangarajan) and Smriti (Mandhana) are very established at this level. All of them have faced injuries at some point in their careers, so they understand what a player has to do to bounce back.”

focus, fitness, performance

For Vastrakar, the shoulder injury was not the only setback that kept him away from the game. He also suffered a hamstring injury just two days before his release from the BCCI Center of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, which forced him to miss the first two weeks of WPL 2026 for RCB.

Even after returning, he neither bowled nor batted in two of the matches he participated in. Reflecting on his journey, Vastrakar said challenges and disappointments are part of cricket and help players learn how to deal with the ups and downs.

He said his current focus is on fitness, managing his body and improving performance through consistent hard work and discipline.

“There are always some challenges, and some disappointments too, but at the same time, you learn a lot from them. Cricket is a game that has a lot of ups and downs, and it makes you aware of how to deal with different challenges,” said Vastrakar, who plays for Chambal Gharials.

Vastrakar said, “At the moment, I am not particularly focused on any one particular thing. My main focus is on my body, my fitness and my performance. I am focusing on the hard work required to improve in those areas. Right now, all my focus and motivation is there.”

The textile manufacturer is not worried about returning to India

Vastrakar last played for India in the match that ruled them out of the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup. Since then, Kashvi Gautam has emerged as a fast bowling all-rounder in the India setup.

During this period, Vastrakar also missed India’s ODI World Cup triumph in 2025 and will also be unavailable for the upcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.

However, he is not worried about this setback. Vastrakar’s focus is firmly on domestic cricket, consistent performances and hard work, with the belief that results and an international comeback will come in time.

“Look, it’s not really in my hands. It’s in my hands to keep doing my job and keep performing, it doesn’t matter which franchise I play for or which league I participate in. The selectors are there to take the decision,” Vastrakar said.

Vastrakar said, “If I perform well and they feel Pooja Vastrakar deserves to be in the team, then it’s great. Otherwise, I will keep doing what is expected of me. My job is to keep working hard and give my best.”

It has been eight years since Vastrakar made his India debut. Having played over 100 matches for the country, he has time and again shown that he is a reliable option with both bat and ball.

However, the past few months away from the field have tested his resilience and patience. If she is fully fit, there is no doubt that she will make a comeback in the Indian team because of the quality and balance she brings to the team.

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