‘Really special’ – Yastika flourishes after her long road back – Yastika Bhatia Leads India to Victory in Stunning T20I Comeback Against England

Returning to international cricket after a grueling physical recovery is one of the toughest challenges in sports. For Indian batter Yastika Bhatia, the journey back to the crease after major knee surgery was quite literally a process of rebuilding from scratch. Yet, watching her elegant and composed maiden T20I half-century against England at Chelmsford, one would never have guessed she had been away from the international arena. Batting with absolute authority, Yastika helped guide India to a convincing 38-run victory in the series opener, signaling her readiness for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

This was Yastika’s first international appearance since October 2024 and her first T20I in over two years. Despite the long layoff, she played with the rhythm and confidence of someone who had never left. Alongside the fluent Jemimah Rodrigues, Yastika anchored an innings that rescued India from a precarious position and set up a match-winning total.

The Crucial Partnership: Navigating Early Disaster

India’s batting depth was put to the test immediately. Walking out to bat without regular captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was rested for the first of the three-match series, India suffered a disastrous start. Lauren Bell delivered a double-strike in the very first over, dismissing both Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma to leave India reeling at 7 for 2.

It was a situation that demanded both caution and counter-attacking intent. Yastika Bhatia joined Jemimah Rodrigues at the crease, and the two immediately set about steadying the ship. As they forged their partnership, Rodrigues reminded Yastika of the excellent form she had displayed in the warm-up nets, telling her simply: “let’s build a partnership.”

The duo did exactly that, putting on a spectacular third-wicket stand of 126 runs from just 76 deliveries. Rodrigues was her usual fluent self, blasting 69 off 40 balls, while Yastika matched her tempo with a classy 54 off the same number of deliveries. Their contrasting styles baffled the English bowlers, propelling India to 73 for 2 by the end of the powerplay and laying a solid foundation for a big total.

The Pain of Rehabilitation: Overcoming the ACL Hurdle

For Yastika, this innings was the culmination of months of silent, painful work behind the scenes. She underwent ACL knee surgery last October after sustaining an injury during a training camp. The surgery and subsequent rehabilitation ruled her out of both the 50-over World Cup and the Women’s Premier League (WPL). Although she made the squad for the 2024 T20 World Cup, she did not play a match and subsequently picked up a wrist injury during the WBBL.

Reflecting on her recovery, Yastika highlighted the immense physical and mental hurdles she had to clear. “Those who undergo ACL surgery, the whole muscle of that leg goes away,” she explained. “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.”

The support of her teammates, staff, and management proved crucial during her darkest hours. “But because of the support, I just kept on going, kept showing up, then after months I could see the improvement,” Yastika shared. “Jemi and all the team were in touch with me… staff, team management, and so I’m very grateful for all their support. All is well that ends well.”

A Complete Team Effort and Nandani Sharma’s Dream Debut

While Yastika and Rodrigues set up the platform, India’s innings stuttered slightly after their departures in the 14th over. Yastika was run out attempting a risky single, and Rodrigues fell shortly after, caught and bowled by Charlie Dean. From there, England’s bowlers pulled things back effectively, with Deepti Sharma being the only other Indian batter to reach double figures. However, the above-par score proved more than enough, demonstrating India’s impressive depth even in the absence of Kaur.

With the ball, India showcased another rising star in 24-year-old fast bowler Nandani Sharma. Making her international debut, Nandani finished with outstanding figures of 3 for 34. Her victims included the dangerous Amy Jones, who had been England’s sole resistance with a fighting 67 batting out of position at No. 3—her first T20I half-century since 2020. Nandani also removed Dani Gibson, with both batters caught in the deep by Shafali Verma, before clean-bowling Issy Wong with a clever slower delivery.

Nandani’s performance comes as no surprise to those who followed the WPL, where she finished as the joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Sophie Devine, claiming 17 wickets for Delhi Capitals at an average of 18.58 and an economy rate of 8.31. Yastika was quick to praise her debutant teammate: “Nandani, I think she bowled beautifully. She came back well with her slower ones and that is her strength and she bowled beautifully to her strength and got those wickets, and in a debut game it’s exceptional.”

England’s Tactical Experiments and Looking Ahead

For England, the match served as a crucial learning curve ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup. Standing in as captain with Nat Sciver-Brunt racing to recover from injury, Charlie Dean explained the tactical decisions behind their batting order, which saw Amy Jones promoted to No. 3 in place of Maia Bouchier. “Not having a Nat in our batting line-up and in our team is a loss and just trying to work out where the other girls fit into that,” Dean noted. “They can all do the job at hand and that is something that we 100 percent believe, but it’s just making sure we give the right people those opportunities.”

England will look to bounce back in the second match in Bristol on Saturday. They are set to be boosted by the return of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who is available after a break following the birth of her first child. Meanwhile, India expect to welcome captain Harmanpreet Kaur back to the starting XI as they look to seal the series in style.