‘The injury time wasn’t easy’ - Yastika Bhatia reflects on comeback after match-winning fifty against England

Team India began their preparations for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 in impressive fashion, registering a commanding 38-run victory over England in the first T20I of the three-match series at Chelmsford.

After suffering an early collapse and losing both openers with just seven runs on the board, India found stability through a sensational partnership between Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues. The duo stitched together a brilliant 126-run stand in only 76 deliveries, completely shifting the momentum in India’s favour.

While Rodrigues played her aggressive brand of cricket, it was Yastika’s inspiring comeback knock that grabbed the spotlight. Making her return to international cricket after a lengthy injury layoff, the left-handed batter produced a composed 52 off 40 balls to guide India to a strong total.

Yastika had been sidelined since October 2024 after suffering a knee injury during a preparatory camp. The injury required ACL surgery, forcing her to miss several international assignments as well as the Women’s Premier League earlier this year.

Reflecting on the difficult rehabilitation process, Yastika opened up about the challenges she faced during her recovery period.

“Those who undergo ACL surgery, the whole muscle of that leg goes away. We have to build everything from scratch. After the surgery, it was pretty tough to go through the rehab process. There were days when nothing was happening. No progress was visible. But because of the support, I kept on going, kept showing up and after months, I could see the improvements,” she was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz.

The stylish batter also described her comeback innings as a special moment and thanked everyone who supported her throughout the recovery journey.

“I’m really grateful. I’m coming back after a long time and the team has welcomed me very nicely. It feels very good to be back. The injury time wasn’t easy, but there were people backing me and supporting me.”

“Behind the scenes, a lot of work has gone into coming back into the team. My family was very supportive during that time. The Centre of Excellence in Bangalore took care of me very well - the physios and trainers. I’m very thankful to them and even the surgeons who did my surgery. All the teammates and team management staff were in touch with me. All’s well that ends well.”

Chasing a challenging target of 189, England stayed in the contest for a brief period with Amy Jones leading the fightback. At 101/2 after 14 overs, the hosts still had hopes of launching a late assault. However, India’s bowlers held their nerve brilliantly in the death overs. Shree Charani broke the crucial partnership, while debutant pacer Nandini Sharma turned the game decisively in India’s favour.