Why did Yastika Bhatia miss IND-W vs PAK-W game of Women’s T20 World Cup 2026?
Yastika Bhatia was expected to play IND-W vs PAK-W game of Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Co. are playing their first contest of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 against Pakistan. The match between the teams is taking place at the Edgbaston in Birmingham.
India have tasted defeat only on three occasions out of the 16 times against Pakistan. In the T20 World Cup as well, India have outperformed Pakistan in six out of eight matches.
Edgbaston is witnessing the two teams’ ninth T20 World Cup encounter. At the toss, the two captains, Harmanpreet Kaur and Fatima Sana, walked out. Kaur won the toss and opted to bat first without any hesitation.
Kaur talked about the pitch being slow and a good batting deck in the first innings. She announced that India will be going with three spinners and two medium pacers in the line-up. Meanwhile, Fatima too was looking to bat first.
One player who was staging her comeback in the Indian side, Yastika Bhatia, could not find a spot in the XI for this fixture.
Why is Yastika Bhatia not playing IND-W vs PAK-W game of Women’s T20 World Cup 2026?
Harmanpreet Kaur was asked about the team combination at the toss and whether India have been able to solve their No.3 question. She affirmed that the team has shown confidence in Bharati Fulmali over Yastika Bhatia, who was also looking in good touch but had to miss out. This confirmed that Jemimah will bat at three for India.
One plausible reason for the same could be the batting positions of the team were shifting due to the addition of Yastika Bhatia. She is a top-order batter, but since the openers Shafali Verma and Smriti were set, she had to bat three. This shifted the positions of Jemimah, and Harmanpreet Kaur too.
Moreover, Bhatia had evidently been slow in the field, and was not a quick runner between the wickets. Another add-on reason could be the spin track at Edgbaston, and Jemimah having great game against spin.
India wanted an explosive batter in the lower middle order and hence trusted Bharati Fulmali. The experience that Bharati adds to the line-up has been significant. She has come after a very good domestic and WPL season, which makes her contention strong.
What is the venue of IND-W vs PAK-W for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026?
IND-W vs PAK-W clash of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Who won the toss in the IND-W vs PAK-W World Cup?
India won the toss and chose to bat first.
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Cricket runs in the blood of Indians — and that’s something she truly believes in. A law student with a lifelong connection to the game, she has followed cricket passionately since his school days. Like countless young fans, she first experienced the sport on the field before deepening his understanding through constant watching, reading, and conversations around the game. Writing became a natural extension of that passion, bringing a “Pavilion Perspective” to his work — capturing how fans experience matches through their own lens.