The Brisbane Heat have recruited Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Yastika Bhatia to replace Jess Jonassen, who is unable to compete in the Women’s Big Bash League owing to a hip injury. Bhatia will join the Heat prior to their second game of the season, against the Sydney Thunder in Sydney on November 1. He will stay with the team throughout the competition. This year, she is the sole Indian contestant.
Yastika Bhatia joins the Heat after playing four Tests, 28 ODIs, and 26 T20Is. She has also played two Twenty20 Internationals, three One-Day Internationals, and one Test on Australian soil, giving her a working knowledge of local conditions, particularly at the Heat’s home ground, Allan Border Field.
Why did the Brisbane Heat need to replace Jess Jonassen?
The Heat lost a key player when Jonassen’s hip injury forced her to withdraw from the competition before it even began. The squad promptly filled the slot with an experienced international batter. Mark Sorrell, the Heat’s head coach, discussed the team’s decision to sign Bhatia.
In addition to Bhatia, the Heat have two more foreign newcomers this season: Ireland all-rounder Orla Prendergast and England spinner Sarah Glenn.
What can Yastika Bhatia give the Brisbane Heat?
Yastika Bhatia appeared in six games for the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL 2024, finishing as the team’s second-highest run scorer with 154 runs at 104.76. During that competition, only Meg Lanning’s score of 158 runs surpassed hers.
Yastika Bhatia’s return to competitive cricket has been remarkable. She missed over eighteen months of cricket after rupturing her ACL in September of last year, including India’s 2025 ODI World Cup victory.
She returned to the international scene with the T20 World Cup, which was held in England in June. The following month, as part of India’s 270-run victory against England, she made history as the first female player to achieve a Test century at Lord’s.
Prior to joining the WBBL, Bhatia played for the Trinbago Knight Riders in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League. When she returns to the league, she joins the Brisbane Heat rather than her former WBBL squad, the Melbourne Stars.
Raghav Mehta is a sports journalist specializing in cricket coverage. His work focuses on breaking cricket news, match reports, team announcements, and significant developments across domestic and international cricket.
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