‘Really special’ – Yastika flourishes after her long road back – Yastika Bhatia’s Resilient Return: From ACL Rehab to Maiden T20I Fifty

The Crucial Comeback of Yastika Bhatia

For any elite athlete, a major physical setback is as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. When Yastika Bhatia underwent knee surgery last October, she was forced to start over from the ground up. Yet, watching her bat in the first T20I against England at Chelmsford, one would never have guessed she had been away from the international stage since October 2024, or that this was her first T20I appearance in over two years.

Stepping up to the plate with supreme confidence, Yastika translated her excellent practice-session form into a match-winning performance. Alongside her batting partner Jemimah Rodrigues, she anchored the innings during a critical juncture, showing no signs of rustiness. This stellar return has injected a massive boost into India’s preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Resilience Amidst Early Disaster

India’s clinical 38-run victory was not handed to them on a silver platter. Electing to bat, the visitors found themselves in deep trouble almost immediately. Lauren Bell delivered a devastating double-strike in the very first over, dismissing both Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma to leave India reeling at a precarious 7 for 2.

With regular skipper Harmanpreet Kaur rested for this opening fixture of the three-match series, the responsibility fell squarely on the shoulders of the middle order. Yastika and Rodrigues responded with a brilliant third-wicket partnership. The duo put together a spectacular 126-run stand off just 76 deliveries. Rodrigues played a fluent knock of 69 off 40 balls, while Yastika matched her intensity with a well-compiled 54 off 40 balls, helping India post a highly competitive total.

The Grueling Reality of ACL Rehab

Behind Yastika’s fluent cover drives and decisive footwork lay months of grueling rehabilitation. The injury, suffered during a training camp, kept her out of both the 50-over World Cup and the WPL. Although she was named in the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, she did not play a single match before sustaining a further wrist injury during the WBBL.

“It felt really special and I’m very grateful,” Yastika reflected after her crucial innings. “I’ve been coming back after a long time and the team has welcomed me very nicely. In the injury time, it’s not easy, but there were people backing me. Behind the scenes, a lot of work has gone on to come back again into the team.”

She also shed light on the intense physical struggle of recovering from an ACL reconstruction: “Those who undergo ACL surgery, the whole muscle of that leg goes away. We have to build everything from scratch. So after the surgery, it was pretty tough to just go through the rehab process, and there were days where nothing was happening, no progress was basically seen. But because of the support, I just kept on going, kept showing up, and after months I could see the improvement.”

Squad Depth and a Dream Debut for Nandani Sharma

India’s final score of 165 was heavily reliant on the top-order partnership. After both Yastika and Rodrigues fell in the 14th over—Yastika via a run-out and Rodrigues caught-and-bowled by Charlie Dean—the lower order struggled to maintain the momentum, with only Deepti Sharma reaching double figures. However, the bowling unit stepped up beautifully to defend the target.

A standout performer was 24-year-old fast bowler Nandani Sharma, who enjoyed an emotional and highly successful international debut. Nandani, who was the joint-highest wicket-taker in this year’s WPL with 17 wickets for Delhi Capitals, finished with outstanding figures of 3 for 34.

Nandani’s impact was immediate. She dismissed England’s top scorer Amy Jones—who fought hard with a resilient 67 off No. 3—and Dani Gibson in consecutive deliveries, before clean-bowling Issy Wong with a clever slower ball. Yastika was full of praise for the debutant: “Nandani, I think she bowled beautifully. She came back well with her slower ones and that is her strength. In a debut game, it’s exceptional. Nandani is a product of the WPL and she has done brilliantly. We all felt emotional seeing her debut, and it’s exciting times for Indian cricket that whoever is coming into the XI is making their statement.”

Looking Ahead to the Remaining Series

With India leading the three-match series 1-0, the action moves to Bristol on Saturday. England faces a must-win scenario to keep the series alive. The hosts are expected to welcome back Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who is returning to bolster the batting line-up following a break for the birth of her first child.

Meanwhile, England is managing their squad carefully. With Nat Sciver-Brunt racing against time to recover from injury before the World Cup, stand-in captain Charlie Dean emphasized the importance of testing their tactical combinations: “We wanted to give a bit of time to those girls who are going to bat for us in that middle top order in the World Cup. Not having Nat in our batting line-up is a loss, but we 100 percent believe our other players can do the job.”

For India, the return of Harmanpreet Kaur in the next match will only strengthen a squad that is already showing incredible depth, resilience, and clinical execution under pressure.