WPL 2026: Big blow for Gujarat Giants as injury ends Yastika's season

Women's Premier League 2026: A day before the start of the Women's Premier League 2026, the Gujarat Giants have suffered a big blow with their star wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia ruled for the entire season.

Why will Yastika miss WPL 2026?

The Giants had bought Yastika for Rs 50 lakh at the WPL auction. Yastika was already injured at the time Gujarat Giants acquired her. Yastika had suffered a knee injury, due to which she was also ruled out of the Australia series and the recently concluded ODI World Cup. Uma Chetry was included in the Indian team in her place. Yastika could not recover in time, so she will not be able to play for her team this season.

Who will replace Yastika? 

According to an old BCCI directive, Gujarat Giants will not be allowed to replace Yastika with another player. This is because she was injured even before the auction. Similarly, if RCB's Pooja Vastrakar and UPW's Pratima Rawat also do not recover in time, their teams will also not be able to bring in any new players. 

After the news of Yastika's season-ending injury, Gujarat Giants shared a heartwarming video on social media. In this video, several team members wished Yastika a speedy recovery and expressed hope that she would play with them in the coming seasons. 

How have Gujarat Giants performed in previous seasons?

Gujarat Giants have not yet won the WPL title. In the previous three seasons, the team finished last in the first two seasons and third in the last season. Their journey in 2025 ended after losing the Eliminator match to Mumbai Indians Women. They are now preparing for the fourth season and hoping for a better performance this time.