Pooja Vastrakar's Bold Rise in Indian Women's Cricket, Biography, Age, Career, Net Worth In 2026
Pooja Vastrakar is an up-and-coming all-rounder for Indian women’s cricket who has had an enormously significant impact on the game. Pooja’s story of growing up in a small town called Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh, and now representing India on an international level, speaks of her courage, resilience, and tireless efforts to achieve success.
Pooja was born to modest parents on September 25, 1999. She is the youngest of seven children. Her father, Bandhan Ram Vastrakar, used to work for BSNL until he lost his job, but he still supported Pooja’s goals after the unfortunate death of her mother when she was ten years old.
When girls’ cricket wasn’t very well-known in Shahdol, Pooja played with boys from the age of four. She learned her skills at the Gulmohar Cricket Academy with coach Ashutosh Shrivastava, who helped convert Pooja from a cricket batter into a fast-bowling cricket all-rounder.
Beginning of Domestic and International Debut
In 2013, 14-year-old Pooja made her domestic T20 debut with the Madhya Pradesh state team and quickly made an impression on selectors and was chosen to play for the India Green women's team a short time later.
She made her international debut in 2018
ODI Debut v. Australia
T20I Debut v. South Africa
Since then, she has been an integral part of the current Indian women's team across all formats of the game.
Her Style of Play and Strengths
Batting: As a right-handed batter, she is often likened to Hardik Pandya due to her aggressive style and ability to hit the ball a long way from the lower order.
Bowling: Right-arm medium-fast bowler, and is known for her ability to swing the ball, generate seam movement, bowl yorkers and bowl with control.
Speed: Pooja consistently bowls between 105 and 110kph and can occasionally achieve speeds in excess of this range.
Fielding: She is a fast and athletic fielder.
Her idol is former Indian fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, who is obviously an influence on her bowling.
Career Statistics (as recorded - approximate amounts) are as follows:
Test Cricket
Matches: 2
Wickets: 5
Best Bowling Figures: 3/49
ODI Series
Matches: 25+
Wickets: 20+
Best Bowling Figures: 4/34
Runs: 300+ runs (including 1x fifty)
T20Is
Matches: 45+
Wickets: 25+
Strike rate: 100+
2022 Women's World Cup Performance
Pooja enjoyed one of her best performances of her career at the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup with the following statistics:
156 Runs
10 Wickets
67 Runs vs. Pakistan, with her contribution with bat and ball establishing her as a true match-winner in world cricket.
As a member of the Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League, Pooja is a crucial part of their success; she was bought for INR 1.9 crore in the first auction and played a large role in helping the team win the championship in 2023. Pooja is a valuable player because of her disciplined spells and ability to contribute as a lower-order batter in franchise cricket.
In 2016, Pooja tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and went through a lengthy rehabilitation process following surgery. She missed the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup due to injury again, but has shown resilience by coming back from these setbacks stronger than ever.
Pooja has faced challenges related to the expectations of her body type (a physical representation of what describes athletics) and has embraced who she is — paving the way for other female athletes in cricket.
BCCI Grade C Contract: INR 10,00,000 per year
Match Fees (Approx.):
Test Matches: INR 15,00,000
One-Day Internationals: INR 6,00,000
Twenty20 Internationals: INR 3,00,000
Estimated Net Worth: INR 2 – 3 crores
At 25 years old, Pooja Vastrakar exemplifies a new generation of fearless Indian women cricketers. Frequently referred to as the “Chhota Hardik Pandya” because of her ability to be an all-rounder, Pooja is one of the expected leaders of India's fast-bowling attack for years to come.
