Melbourne Stars and Indian wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of the remainder of the WBBL 2024 due to a wrist fracture.
The injury now puts her in a race against time to recover for India’s three-match ODI series against Australia, scheduled to begin on December 5, just days after the WBBL’s 10th season finale.
According to reports, Bhatia sustained a “small fracture” during the Melbourne derby against the Renegades on November 15 at the MCG, where she scored 11 off 8 balls. Despite the injury, she played in the Stars’ next game against Brisbane Heat but missed the subsequent fixture against Sydney Thunder on November 20.
Sophie Reid replaced her as the team’s wicketkeeper and opener in that game. Bhatia has since returned to India to undergo further assessment and treatment.
India has not yet named a replacement for Bhatia in their 16-member squad for the Australia tour. With long-time opener Shafali Verma recently dropped, Bhatia was among the key contenders to fill the opening spot. Priya Punia, recalled to the ODI squad, now emerges as another option if Bhatia does not recover in time.
This was Bhatia’s maiden WBBL stint, and she made an immediate impression. On her debut, she scored a brisk 36 off 28 balls in a rain-hit game. She followed it up with a match-winning 57 off 46 balls against the Hobart Hurricanes, earning the Player of the Match award.
Across six innings, Bhatia scored 154 runs at an average of 25.66 and a strike rate of nearly 105.
Having recently returned from a five-month knee injury layoff during India’s home ODI series against New Zealand, this setback marks another challenge in Bhatia’s journey as she eyes a return to full fitness ahead of a packed international schedule.