Pooja Vastrakar

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Pooja Vastrakar

| female = yes

| image =Pooja Vastrakar.jpg

| caption =Vastrakar in August 2022

| country = India

| fullname = Pooja Vastrakar

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|9|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, India

| nickname =

| heightft =

| heightinch =

| heightcm =

| heightm =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium-fast

| role = All-rounder

| international = true

| internationalspan = 2018–present

| testdebutdate = 16 June

| testdebutyear = 2021

| testdebutagainst = England

| testcap = 88

| lasttestdate = 30 September

| lasttestyear = 2021

| lasttestagainst = Australia

| odidebutdate = 10 February

| odidebutyear = 2018

| odidebutagainst = South Africa

| odicap = 122

| lastodidate = 24 September

| lastodiyear = 2022

| lastodiagainst = England

| odishirt = 34

| T20Idebutdate = 13 February

| T20Idebutyear = 2018

| T20Idebutagainst = South Africa

| T20Icap = 57

| lastT20Idate = 20 February

| lastT20Iyear = 2023

| lastT20Iagainst = Ireland

| T20Ishirt = 34

| club1 = Madhya Pradesh

| year1 = {{nowrap|2012/13–present}}

| club2 = Supernovas

| year2 = 2018–2022

| club3 = Brisbane Heat

| year3 = 2022/23

| club4 = Mumbai Indians

| year4 = {{nowrap|2023–present}}

| columns = 3

| column1 = WTest

| matches1 = 2

| runs1 = 37

| bat avg1 = 12.33

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 13

| deliveries1 = 244

| wickets1 = 5

| bowl avg1 = 23.00

| fivefor1 = 0

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 3/49

|catches/stumpings1 = 0/–

| column2 = WODI

| matches2 = 26

| runs2 = 463

| bat avg2 = 23.15

| 100s/50s2 = 0/3

| top score2 = 67

| deliveries2 = 816

| wickets2 = 20

| bowl avg2 = 37.55

| fivefor2 = 0

| tenfor2 = 0

| best bowling2 = 4/34

|catches/stumpings2 = 4/–

| column3 = WT20I

| matches3 = 40

| runs3 = 256

| bat avg3 = 16.00

| 100s/50s3 = 0/0

| top score3 = 37*

| deliveries3 = 607

| wickets3 = 26

| bowl avg3 = 23.38

| fivefor3 = 0

| tenfor3 = 0

| best bowling3 = 3/6

|catches/stumpings3 = 7/–

| date = 19 February 2023

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/883413.html ESPNcricinfo

| module = {{Infobox medal templates | titlestyle = background-color: lightsteelblue; | expand=yes

| medals =

{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}

}}

Pooja Vastrakar (born 25 September 1999) is an Indian cricketer who plays for the national team as an all-rounder.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/india/content/player/883413.html|title=Pooja Vastrakar|last=|first=|date=|work=ESPNcricinfo|publisher=|access-date=}}{{Cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1577/1577295/1577295.html|title=Player's profile|last=|first=|date=|work=CricketArchive|publisher=|access-date=}} She is a right-arm medium-fast bowler{{cite web|url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/india-test-newbies-where-were-they-in-november-2014 |title=India's potential Test debutantes: Where were they in November 2014? |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=10 June 2021}} and right-handed batter. She made her international debut for India in 2018, against South Africa. In domestic cricket, she represents Madhya Pradesh.

Early life

Vastrakar initially started playing cricket with the boys near her neighborhood in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh.{{cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/news/the-pooja-vastrakar-story-from-playing-with-boys-and-dealing-with-a-tragedy-that-threatened-to-destroy-her-to-helping-india-beat-pakistan-in-the-womens-world-cup/articleshow/90047832.cms|publisher=Times of India|title=The Pooja Vastrakar story: From playing with boys and dealing with a tragedy that threatened to destroy her to helping India beat Pakistan in the Women's World Cup|access-date=2022-12-14}}{{Citation|title=I was picked by my coach in a boys training camp - Vastrakar|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/1140623.html|access-date=2018-12-15}} She later started going to the stadium and practiced net batting where the coach Ashutosh Shrivastava realized her talent and started her formal training. She started off as a batter and later on when she joined the Madhya Pradesh team, she started fast bowling alongside her batting. At the age of 15, she was a part of India Green Women Squad.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/decadereview2009/content/squad/883387.html|title=India Green Women Squad {{!}} Women's Challenger Trophy, 2015 {{!}} Cricket Squads {{!}} ESPNcricinfo|work=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=2018-12-15}} In 2016, while Vastrakar was fielding during a senior women's domestic match, she twisted her knee. This led to her getting surgery done for her anterior cruciate ligament tear which put her National call-up in jeopardy. The Challenger Trophy in 2018 played a pivotal role in Vastrakar's selection for India's South Africa tour.

Vastrakar's father is a retired employee of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Her mother died when she was ten years old. She has four sisters and two brothers and is the youngest of seven siblings.{{cite web|title=Vastrakar: India's bold and resilient teenager|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22809088/india-bold-resilient-teenager|author=Annesha Ghosh|work=ESPNcricinfo|accessdate=18 March 2018}}

International career

She made her Women's One Day International cricket (WODI) debut for India Women against South Africa Women on 10 February 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1123205.html |title=3rd ODI, ICC Women's Championship at Potchefstroom, Feb 10 2018 |accessdate=10 February 2018 |work=ESPNcricinfo}} She made her Women's Twenty20 International cricket (WT20I) debut for India Women against South Africa Women on 13 February 2018.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1123206.html |title=1st T20I, India Women tour of South Africa at Potchefstroom, Feb 13 2018 |accessdate=13 February 2018 |work=ESPNcricinfo}}

In October 2018, she was named in India's squad for the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20 tournament in the West Indies.{{cite web |url=http://www.bcci.tv/news/2018/press-releases/17669/indian-womens-team-for-icc-womens-world-twenty20-announced |title=Indian Women’s Team for ICC Women’s World Twenty20 announced |work=Board of Control for Cricket in India |accessdate=28 September 2018 |archive-date=28 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928121529/http://www.bcci.tv/news/2018/press-releases/17669/indian-womens-team-for-icc-womens-world-twenty20-announced |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/863769 |title=India Women bank on youth for WT20 campaign |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=28 September 2018}} However, she suffered an injury during a warm-up match, and was later ruled out of the tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/913741 |title=Devika Vaidya replaces injured Pooja Vastrakar |work=International Cricket Council |accessdate=16 November 2018}} In January 2020, she was named in India's squad for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/28468147/kaur-mandhana-verma-part-full-strength-india-squad-t20-world-cup |title=Kaur, Mandhana, Verma part of full strength India squad for T20 World Cup |work=ESPNcricinfo |accessdate=12 January 2020}}

In May 2021, she was named in India's Test squad for their one-off match against the England women's cricket team.{{cite web|url=https://www.bcci.tv/articles/2021/news/154389/india-s-senior-women-squad-for-the-only-test-match-odi-t20i-series-against-england-announced |title=India's Senior Women squad for the only Test match, ODI & T20I series against England announced |work=Board of Control for Cricket in India |access-date=14 May 2021}} Vastrakar made her Test debut on 16 June 2021, for India against England.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1260093.html |title=Only Test, Bristol, Jun 16 - 19 2021, India Women tour of England |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=16 June 2021}} In January 2022, she was named in India's team for the 2022 Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand.{{cite web|url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/womens-odi-world-cup-2022-renuka-singh-meghna-singh-yastika-bhatia-break-into-indias-world-cup-squad-1295643 |title=Renuka Singh, Meghna Singh, Yastika Bhatia break into India's World Cup squad |work=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=6 January 2022}} She scored 156 runs averaging 26.00, and took 10 wickets averaging 18.30 in the tournament. In July 2022, she was named in India's team for the cricket tournament at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcci.tv/articles/2022/news/55555899/team-india-senior-women-squad-for-birmingham-2022-commonwealth-games-announced?type=Latest |title=Team India (Senior Women) squad for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games announced |work=Board of Control for Cricket in India |access-date=11 July 2022}} She was named in the India squad for the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup.{{cite web |url=https://www.bcci.tv/bccilink/articles/jKTSq82Z |title=India’s squad for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2024 announced |work=Board of Control for Cricket in India |access-date=3 October 2024}}