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From a career-threatening ACL injury to her left knee that sidelined her for more than 18 months to becoming the first woman cricketer to score a Test century at Lord’s, Yastika Bhatia’s return to competitive cricket has been nothing short of inspirational. On Saturday, the wicketkeeper-batter from Vadodara, who scored a match-winning 113 off 158 balls against England recently, was felicitated by Baroda Cricket Association (BCA). Speaking to us on the sidelines, Yastika opened up about her century, her time away from the game, the conversation with Smriti Mandhana that gave her a much-needed mental boost, and more. Excerpts:
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‘A century at Lord’s is a very special feeling’
Very few cricketers get the opportunity to score a century at Lord’s, and it’s a very special feeling. I did not have a very good T20 World Cup, and I was hungry for runs. It was not an easy wicket to bat initially, and I just told myself that I needed to stay out there. I was not out on 39 when the day’s play ended, and I told myself, ‘Abhi kal sirf 61 runs banane hain.’ The next day, I was not out on 91 at lunch, so I was both nervous and excited. Initially, I kept thinking about how I would celebrate once I reached the milestone, but then I told myself not to think about anything until I actually got there. The moment I took that single and completed my hundred, I became very emotional. Everything I had gone through over the last two years came rushing back. A couple of months ago, I visited the Mahakal Temple and felt a powerful divine energy. As I stood there soaking in the applause at Lord’s, it felt almost the same—aisa laga jaise main Bhagwan ke saamne khadi thi. I just thanked God, my family and all my well-wishers for their faith in me.
‘Kiran More always tells me that I am his best student’
When I got injured, it was a huge blow as I was eager to play in the home World Cup (2025 ODI WC). Kiran More, who always tells me that I am his best student, came home and assured me that things would be fine. He said, “Tera time aayega,” and his positivity was very reassuring. Due to muscle loss, I had to start from scratch again but during that phase, I focused on being a good student of the game. Even when you are not playing, you can learn a lot by just observing. And once I resumed practice after so many months, I fell in love with cricket all over again. These few months have taught me the value of patience and resilience.
‘All my teammates cried when I missed out on the WC’
I still remember the day when my teammates got to know that I would miss the ODI World Cup due to injury. They were crying. However, talking to Smriti di (Mandhana) gave me a lot of strength. She had a similar injury in 2017 but has played her best cricket after making a comeback. She told me, “Don’t worry, it will be the turning point of your career. You will learn a lot about the game and life while you are away for rehab”. Amol (Muzumdar) sir (Team India coach), Harry (Harmanpreet Kaur) di and all the seniors would always be in touch and tell me, “Tu jaldi theek ho jaa, you will be back in the team soon.” That kind of support meant a lot and motivated me.
‘Vadodara has played a huge role in my journey’
Vadodara has played a huge role in my journey, and I am grateful to the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) for their constant support. It has been the backbone of my career. I remember when I started doing well for Team Baroda, Rajkuvardevi (Geeta) Gaekwad (former Indian cricketer from the city) always said, “Radha (Yadav) and Yastika will play for India soon; they have it in them.” I am also grateful to my coach Santosh Chaugule and mentor Kiran More for always being there. It was a huge moment to find my name on the Lord’s honours board and every time I do well, I thank the city’s contribution in my journey. I hope this is just the beginning; India ke liye aur bhi bahut matches jeetne hain. I hope I can do well for India in big tournaments like the World Cup and Champions Trophy. Women’s cricket is a part of the 2028 Olympics, and my goal is to make sure that I am a part of that team. It would be such a great achievement if we can win an Olympic gold for the country! Now that there’s pay parity and our match fees are on par with the men’s team, parents see cricket as a viable career option for young girls. With Team India continuing to perform well, many more girls are inspired to take up the sport, and that’s a very encouraging sign. The BCCI and ICC deserve credit for promoting women’s cricket well, and I am also grateful to the media for their constant support.
Never easy to come back after a surgery: Yastika’s mom Garima
After the injury, Yastika had to undergo surgery, and she moved to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru for rehab. Garima Bhatia, her mom, went to Bengaluru and stayed with Yastika for almost the entire duration. She tells us, “It’s never easy to come back after surgery and initially, Yastika would feel very low. Her dream of playing in a home World Cup (the 2025 ODI World Cup) had been shattered due to this injury. We are grateful to the COE and BCCI for taking such excellent care of her. Her teammates and coaches were very supportive too, and slowly, she started feeling better. I am proud of the way she has come back and scored a Test century.”
