Yastika Bhatia, the wicketkeeper-batter for the Gujarat Giants, will miss the rest of the 2026 Women’s Premier League (WPL) season. She had ACL surgery in October, so her participation this season was always in doubt.
Both Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz placed bids for her in spite of this requirement, and Gujarat Giants ultimately paid INR 50 lakh for her services. Remarkably, over the course of the last three seasons, just two clubs have failed to advance to the WPL final: Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz.
“I hope everything is going well for you and that your recuperation is progressing well. According to ESPNcricinfo, Michael Klinger stated, “I can’t wait to see you back fit and strong and be a part of the Gujarat Giants in WPL season 5.”
The WPL had warned teams prior to the auction that if they selected Yastika Bhatia, they would not be permitted to select a substitute.
She was ready to shine in orange but fate had other plans. 😔
The Gujarat Giants family sends love and strength to Yastika Bhatia, Wishing her a speedy recovery. See you soon, champ. ❤️🩹#GujaratGiants #BringItOn #Adani #TATAWPL pic.twitter.com/5nl5k6B81L
— Gujarat Giants (@Giant_Cricket) January 8, 2026
After playing for the Mumbai Indians, this would have been Bhatia’s debut season with the Gujarat Giants. She amassed 506 runs in 28 games throughout her three seasons with MI, averaging 18.74 and hitting 113.45. Yastika Bhatia was spotted with the team owners during the Gujarat Giants’ first game against the UP Warriorz in Navi Mumbai, cheering on her team from the stands.
In the second WPL 2026 match, Gujarat Giants Women defeated UP Warriorz Women by 10 runs on January 10 in Navi Mumbai. After winning the toss, UP Warriorz decided to bowl first. An impressive 207/4 in 20 overs was scored by the Gujarat Giants, who were paced by Ashleigh Gardner’s 65 off 41 balls. Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, and Anushka Sharma provided her with strong support. With stats of 2/32, Sophie Ecclestone was the UP Warriorz’s most impressive bowler.
UP Warriorz responded by putting up a brief fight in the middle overs but ultimately failing to reach the mark. Phoebe Litchfield led the way with a quick 78 off 40 balls, but the rest of the batting lineup was unable to help, and the team lost by 10 runs. Georgia Wareham, Devine, and Renuka Singh Thakur each claimed two wickets to help the Gujarat Giants win.
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