In a major blow ahead of the 2025 WPL season, Mumbai Indians’ Pooja Vastrakar and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Asha Sobhana have been ruled out of the entire competition.
Vastrakar hasn’t played for India since sustaining an injury during the T20 World Cup campaign last year. She will remain on the sidelines for the third season of the WPL, an MI press release confirmed.
The seam-bowling all-rounder will be replaced by India’s Under-19 T20 World Cup winner Parunika Sisodia, who bamboozled opponents with her crafty left-arm spin during the tournament. She will join the camp at her base price of 10 lakh INR.
Sisodia came to attention when she took 3-21 against England in the semi-final and 2-6 against South Africa in the final of the U19 World Cup.
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In addition, defending champions RCB's pre-season plans received yet another setback as wrist-spinner Sobhana failed to recover in time for their campaign after suffering a knee injury during the T20 World Cup last year. Asha took 12 wickets in 10 games at an economy rate of 7.11, proving instrumental in RCB's title-winning season.
RCB have already hit by the unavailability of several key players – Sophie Molineux, the side's joint second-highest wicket-taker last year, is out due to a knee injury, while Kate Cross has withdrawn to focus on rehab and recovery before a busy international schedule alongside New Zealand's Sophie Devine, who has taken a break from cricket. Shreyanka Patil and Ellyse Perry are also a doubtful starters due to fitness concerns.
Nuzhat Parween, who has represented India in five T20Is, has been called in as Sobhana’s replacement. The wicketkeeper-batter has scored 134 runs at a strike rate of 101.51 for Railways in the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy.
RCB will start their campaign on February 14, against Gujarat Giants in Vadodara.
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