CWG 2022: Pooja Vastrakar Available For Important Clash Against Barbados

India women’s cricket team received a significant boost with the return of all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar ahead of their clash against Barbados in the Commonwealth Games 2022 on Wednesday.

Vastrakar has already missed the first two games in the tournament against Australia and Pakistan. She contracted COVID-19 virus just before the Indian team left for Birmingham on July 24, and hence she had to stay back at home.

Pooja Vastrakar available for Barbados game in CWG 2022

Vastrakar has recovered from Covid and has joined the squad for their final group stage fixture against Barbados.  Apart from Vastrakar, Indian batter Sabbhineni Meghana also tested positive for the contagious virus. 

Meghana, however, recovered quickly and also played the match against Pakistan which India won by eight wickets to keep their chances float of qualifying in the Commonwealth Games 2022 semis. 

India’s win against Pakistan will give them the confidence to take on Barbados in a virtual quarter-final fixture at the Edgbaston on Wednesday. Both India and Barbados lost to Australia and registered a win against Pakistan. 

The Barbados match is really going to be important for us: Smriti Mandhana 

India sits in the second place on points table with a better net run rate of +1.16 to Barbados’ -1.794. However, this difference would only matter if the match is abandoned or unable to draw a result. 

“For us it was an important match in terms of qualification. So definitely this match was really important in the consideration of qualification because we did not win the first match. These two points and the Barbados match are really going to be important for us to go in the semi-final,” Indian opener and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana told reporters after the victory against Pakistan.

Five-time T20 World Cup champions Australia have secured their berth in the semi-final with comprehensive wins in their two games, while Pakistan have been knocked out of the tournament with consecutive losses.

Australia and Pakistan will face each other in another match of Group A on Wednesday.

Also Read: CWG 2022: Smriti Mandhana Joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma In A Rare Feat In T20Is