WPL 2026: Gujarat Giants Lose Yastika Bhatia to Injury for Remaining Matches

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 it was always unclear if she would play this season.

The WPL had told teams before the auction that any team that selected Yastika would not be permitted to designate a substitute. 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.

ESPNcricinfo quoted Michael Klinger said, "Hope you are going well and hope the recovery is going well for you. Cannot wait to see you back fit and strong and be part of the Gujarat Giants in WPL season 5."

Yastika Bhatia's Injury Blow:

🚨 Gujarat Giants cannot sign a replacement for Yastika Bhatia, who was injured before the auction, as per BCCI's directive.#CricketTwitterpic.twitter.com/1Kj0GHaIY4

— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) January 9, 2026

The cricketer was injured at India's training camp for the 2025 home ODI World Cup, which India ultimately won. Before the major event, Uma Chetry took her place in the World Cup squad due to a knee problem. Yastika has been undergoing rehabilitation ever since, and it is still unclear whether she will return.

Yastika was acquired by the Gujarat Giants at the WPL 2026 big auction for INR 50 lakh, despite her continued recuperation. The team and its fans would have hoped at the moment that she would be fully fit for the beginning of the season. However, Yastika has not recovered in time and will now miss the full tournament, so that risk has not paid off.

Yastika sees this as yet another major setback. She will now miss the WPL season in addition to the home ODI World Cup. After spending the first three WPL seasons with the Mumbai Indians and winning the championship twice (2023 and 2025), this transfer to GG was anticipated to usher in a new era. Rather, her absence might make her less relevant in India's bid to be selected for the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in England later this year.

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