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Royal Challengers Bengaluru
India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru pace-bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out for at least two weeks of the ongoing Women's Premier League due to a hamstring injury. The 26-year-old, who last played a competitive game in the T20 World Cup in October 2024, was brought for Rs 85 lakh during the Women's Premier League auction in November last year and the WPL was supposed to be her comeback. "Pooja Vastrakar was not available for selection (against Mumbai Indians)," , the franchise's head coach Malolan Rangarajan said after the team's opening match here on Friday. "Two weeks prior to her release from the CoE (Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru), she unfortunately tweaked her hamstring. The information that we have is that she will be there for two weeks more. "Earlier, she was there (at the CoE) for her shoulder, now she has a hamstring issue. It's a week by week process. So let's see where she is at." RCB, riding on an all-round display by South African stalwart .
RCB all-rounder Nadine de Klerk said on Friday that it would take a few days for the thrilling three-wicket victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League opener to sink in, adding that backing her strengths helped her play a match-winning role in the humdinger. The South African stalwart returned impressive figures of 4/26 to restrict Mumbai Indians to 154 for six and then showed great resolve with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 63 off 44 balls under pressure to earn the player-of-the-match award for the last-ball victory. "It is probably going to take a couple of days. If it is your day, you have to ensure you cash in. Glad to get the win," said de Klerk, when asked if the feeling had sunk in. De Klerk said she just struck to the basics while bowling and it helped her reap rich dividends. "Just about coming in and backing your skills, and executing. Just sticking to my strengths... sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it does not. On these grounds, o