Gujarat Giants have confirmed wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia will play no part in the 2026 Women’s Premier League after failing to recover in time from the ACL surgery she underwent last October.
The WPL had warned all five franchises before December’s auction that any side selecting Bhatia would be unable to draft in a replacement. Even so, both the Giants and UP Warriorz raised their paddles; Gujarat landed her services for INR 50 lakh.
“Hope you are going well and hope the recovery is going well for you,” Giants head coach Michael Klinger said in a short social-media clip. “Cannot wait to see you back fit and strong and be part of the Gujarat Giants in WPL season 5.”
Bhatia’s switch from Mumbai Indians—where she amassed 506 runs in 28 matches at 18.74 with a strike rate of 113.45—was expected to give Gujarat extra depth behind the stumps and in the powerplay. Instead, the franchise must now navigate a fourth campaign with its existing squad.
The 23-year-old was spotted in the stands during Gujarat’s opening-round win over UP Warriorz in Navi Mumbai, sitting alongside team owners and applauding a 10-run victory. That early success lifted spirits, yet it also underlined the squad’s thin wicket-keeping cover.
Neither Gujarat nor UP have reached a WPL final in the competition’s first three seasons. Both sides were banking on fresh faces to change that narrative; for the Giants, one of those faces will remain on the sidelines until at least 2027.
While Bhatia focuses on rehabilitation, Gujarat must decide whether to shuffle existing resources or hand extra responsibility to a less experienced keeper. Either way, the road to a maiden finals appearance just became a shade steeper.
