Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia, who was signed for Rs 50 lakh by Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 mega auction held in New Delhi on November 27, 2025, was on Monday (January 12) officially ruled out of the ongoing WPL 2026 season. The 25-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from Vadodara, who was part of Mumbai Indians in the WPL from 2022 to 2025, had the ACL surgery in October 2025, and due to that, her availability for the WPL 2026 was always under question.
“Hope you (Yastika) are going well, and hope the recovery is going well for you,” Gujarat Giants’ coach Michael Klinger was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz on Monday. “Cannot wait to see you back fit and strong and be part of the Gujarat Giants in WPL season
5,” he added.
Yastika’s absence is a big setback for the Ahmedabad-based franchise, as they won’t be allowed to sign a replacement player for her.
Ahead of the WPL 2026 mega auctions in New Delhi, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had informed all five WPL franchises of her unavailability and stated that the team won’t be allowed a replacement player if she misses the tournament.
Despite the information, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz entered the race to secure her services, and Gujarat Giants managed to sign her for Rs 50 lakh.
Yastika’s record in WPL
Yastika has played 28 WPL matches so far for the Mumbai Indians in the first three seasons of the WPL and scored 506 runs with the help of one half-century. Her best score in WPL is 57, and she has slammed 80 fours and 10 sixes so far. Yastika was MI’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter in the first three seasons of WPL, and she played a big role in helping the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side win two WPL titles in three seasons.
Apart from making 28 WPL appearances for MI, Yastika has also played 19 T20I matches for the India women’s cricket team and in 14 innings has managed to score 214 runs. She was part of the Indian team that won the silver medal in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
GG’s squad for WPL 2026: Renuka Singh Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Titas Sadhu, Kashvee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwer, Anushka Sharma, Happy Kumari, Shivani Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi Soni, Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Danni Wyatt-Hodge
