Cricketer Vastrakar recovers from COVID, set to join CWG squad

India all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has recovered from COVID-19 and is set to join the women's cricket team at the Commonwealth Games.

Vastrakar and S Meghana had to stay back in India after contracting COVID-19 ahead of their scheduled departure.

While Meghana played against Pakistan on Sunday, Vastrakar will be available for the final league game against Barbados on August 3. Her presence lends balance to the team combination.

"She will be arriving later tonight," an Indian Olympic Association (IOA) source told PTI.

While the all-rounder flies to Birmingham, her teammates logged their first win at the CWG.

After a disappointing loss in their tournament opener against Australia, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led team thrashed arch-rivals Pakistan by eight wickets on Sunday.

One of the star performers on the day was spin all-rounder Sneh Rana, who took two wickets in the same over in her comeback game.

“It's a special feeling -- everything we planned in the net sessions worked out. It's always special when you play against Pakistan, but it's also just another game,” she said after the game.

On the crowd at Edgbaston, believed to be a record number for a neutral women's cricket match played in England, she added: “It's fun playing in front of a huge crowd, when some of them are cheering for you. I could hear some of the fans cheering my name on the boundary and that felt really good.”