Yastika Bhatia will miss the 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League, with the Gujarat Giants officially confirming her unavailability on January 10. The wicketkeeper-batter underwent ACL surgery in October last year, putting her participation for the season under serious doubt from the outset.
While she will not be taking the field, Bhatia has joined the Giants’ squad in Navi Mumbai and will be present at matches as a spectator, continuing to support the team during the tournament.
Gujarat Giants head coach Michael Klinger wished her well during her recovery, saying the franchise is looking forward to seeing her return stronger in a future season and rejoin the squad once fully fit.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had informed all franchises about Bhatia’s unavailability ahead of the auction. As a result, Gujarat Giants will not be allowed to name a replacement player for her this season. Despite the injury update, both Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz placed bids for her after she was released by Mumbai Indians, with Giants eventually signing her for Rs 50 lakh.
Bhatia joins a growing list of Indian players unavailable for all or part of the season. UP Warriorz’s Pratika Rawal also had fitness concerns but was picked at the auction, while Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar has been ruled out for at least two weeks due to a hamstring injury.
Across the first three seasons of the Women’s Premier League, Bhatia enjoyed a prolific stint with Mumbai Indians, scoring 506 runs in 28 matches at a strike rate of 113.45. Opening alongside Hayley Matthews, she was part of one of the most destructive partnerships in the league and won the WPL title twice.