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Poonam Yadav (Cricketer) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth24 August 1991

Age32 Years

BirthplaceAgra, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionCricketer (Batsman/Bowler/ Wicket-keeper)

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Raghuveer Singh Yadav; Mother - Munna Devi; second youngest of four siblings

Poonam Yadav (Cricketer) Biography

Poonam Yadav is an Indian leg-spin bowler from Agra who has represented India across formats and played for several domestic and franchise teams. Known for

Early life and background

Poonam Yadav was born on 24 August 1991 in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Her family originally comes from Mahuahar village in Mainpuri district but had settled in Agra before her birth. She grew up the second youngest of four children and developed an early interest in sport, often playing cricket with boys in her neighbourhood. Despite being short in stature, she used her physical attributes to carve out a role as a specialist leg-spin bowler.

Her father Raghuveer Singh Yadav served as a Subedar Major before later working as a lecturer at Arya Kanya Inter College in Sikandrarao, Hathras. Her mother Munna Devi is described as a homemaker. Family support for her cricket developed over time; initially her father was reluctant to let her pursue the sport but changed his stance after encouragement from her coaches and teammates.

Career

Poonam began structured training in 2007 at the Eklavya Sports Stadium and worked under coaches and mentors including M K Afghani, Hemlata Kala and Manoj Kushwaha. She captained the Uttar Pradesh under-19 side that won the national championship in 2010. Around 2011 she secured employment with Indian Railways through the sports quota in the Agra division, a move she regards as pivotal for her cricketing growth.

She made her international debut in T20Is on 5 April 2013 against Bangladesh, and played her first One Day International a week later on 12 April 2013. Her Test debut came on 16 November 2014 against South Africa. Poonam bowls legbreaks and googlies and bats right-handed; she has worn jersey number 24 for India Women.

At domestic level she has represented Uttar Pradesh, Central Zone, India Red, India A (India Blue), and Railways. In the short-format franchise scene she has been part of Supernovas and Trailblazers in the Women’s T20 Challenge and was bought by Delhi Capitals for the inaugural Women’s Premier League in 2023. She also had a stint with Brisbane Heat in the Women’s Big Bash League in 2021.

On the field she made an immediate impact in white-ball internationals. In her T20I debut series against Bangladesh she took three key wickets in the match that helped India secure a 3–0 series win. At the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup she delivered economical spells, including figures of 2 for 23 against Sri Lanka. She finished the 2018 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as one of India’s leading wicket-takers, and in September 2018 she became India’s leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals with 57 wickets from 39 matches, surpassing the previous record.

Her performances in the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup brought her further recognition. In the tournament opener against Australia she took four wickets for 19 runs and was named Player of the Match. She followed that up with a three-wicket haul against Bangladesh as India progressed to the final, where they finished as runners-up to Australia.

Honours and achievements

Poonam’s contributions have been recognised with several awards. She received the Arjuna Award in 2019, becoming the first woman cricketer from Uttar Pradesh to earn that honour. The same year she was part of the Supernovas side that won the Women’s T20 Challenge. She was also named Bowler of the Year (Female) at the India Cricket Heroes event in 2019 and received the BCCI Cricketer of the Year Award in 2020.

Public profile

Poonam is known for her leg-spin craft and competitive spirit. She has named Shane Warne, MS Dhoni and Neetu David among the cricketers she admires. Her short stature and aggressive approach in street cricket have been recurring themes in accounts of her rise, and she has spoken about facing societal sexism while pursuing a professional cricket career.

Latest updates

In franchise cricket she played for Brisbane Heat in the WBBL in 2021 and was bought by Delhi Capitals for the 2023 Women’s Premier League at a base price reported as Rs 30 lakh. Domestically she has continued to represent Railways since joining them in 2014/15.

Poonam remains a prominent figure in India’s spin bowling resources and has a track record of strong performances in major ICC events and domestic competitions.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Poonam Yadav (Cricketer), send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

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Recent Work

Delhi Capitals (WPL)

Bought by Delhi Capitals for the inaugural Women's Premier League in 2023 at a base price reported as Rs 30 lakh.

2023
Brisbane Heat (WBBL)

Signed to play for Brisbane Heat in the Women's Big Bash League in 2021.

2021
Supernovas

Member of the Supernovas squad that won the 2019 Women's T20 Challenge.

2019
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Career Highlights

  1. International debut in T20Is on 5 April 2013 and ODIs on 12 April 2013; Test debut on 16 November 2014.
  2. Became India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is in September 2018 with 57 wickets from 39 matches.
  3. Player of the Match in India’s opening game at the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup (4 for 19 against Australia).
  4. Arjuna Award recipient in 2019.
  5. BCCI Cricketer of the Year Award (2020).
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Poonam Yadav (Cricketer) born?

Poonam Yadav (Cricketer) was born on 24 August 1991.

What is Poonam Yadav (Cricketer) known for?

Poonam Yadav (Cricketer) is known for cricketer (Batsman/Bowler/ Wicket-keeper).

What is Poonam Yadav (Cricketer)’s marital status?

Poonam Yadav (Cricketer)'s marital status is listed as Unmarried.