The Brisbane Heat have turned to Indian wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia as they attempt to rebuild from the most difficult campaign in Women’s Big Bash League history, signing the 25-year-old as a replacement for former skipper Jess Jonassen, who has been ruled out of the 12th edition with a hip injury.
Bhatia becomes the only Indian player in this year’s WBBL, which runs from 29th October to 5th December 2026, and arrives with a point to prove after an injury-interrupted 18 months and a historic Lord’s century that reaffirmed her class.
For a Heat side still processing the trauma of WBBL 11, the signing carries both practical and symbolic weight. Brisbane finished bottom of the table in 2025 with a solitary point from a washed-out game and nine defeats in 10 league matches, becoming the first team ever to complete a WBBL season without a victory. Jonassen subsequently stepped down as captain on 9th March 2026, citing the mental-health and physical toll of leadership, leaving the franchise in need of stability, runs and a fresh narrative. Bhatia offers all three.
The left-hander will link up with the squad in Sydney ahead of their second fixture against the Sydney Thunder at Drummoyne Oval on 1st November and will remain available for the rest of the season. She will miss Friday night’s opener against the Sydney Sixers at Allan Border Field while travelling to Australia, but Heat head coach Mark Sorrell believes her arrival is a timely boost. “Being able to sign such a quality, experienced international player so close to the tournament is a great boost for us,” Sorrell said. “We will miss Jess, of course, but it is reassuring to bring in another strong scoring left-hander into our batting line-up.”
Bhatia is no stranger to Australian conditions or to the WBBL. She played six matches for Melbourne Stars in WBBL 2024, scoring 154 runs at an average of 25.66, including a half-century that underlined her reliability, though at a strike rate of 104.76. Only Meg Lanning, with 158, made more runs for the Stars that season. Now she returns to the competition in teal rather than green, having also featured for Trinbago Knight Riders in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League.
Her recent form makes the move especially compelling. Bhatia made her international comeback during India’s tour of England earlier this year after rupturing her ACL in September last year, an injury that kept her out for nearly 18 months and cost her a place in India’s triumphant 2025 ODI World Cup campaign. She then etched her name into cricket history in July, becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s, making 113 in India’s 270-run win over England.
That innings was more than a personal milestone; it was a statement of resilience from a batter who has now played four Tests, 28 ODIs and 26 T20Is for India. She has also captained India ‘A’ recently and brings valuable experience of Australian conditions, having played one Test, three ODIs and two T20Is in the country so far. Sorrell noted that Bhatia’s familiarity with Allan Border Field should help her settle quickly. “Yastika has good experience playing in Australia, and at Allan Border Field, so we are confident she will fit in nicely with the group,” he said.
Bhatia joins England spinner Sarah Glenn and Ireland allrounder Orla Prendergast as Brisbane’s overseas signings, forming an international core that must immediately lift a squad short on confidence. Her left-handed batting adds balance to a line-up that lost Jonassen’s experience and leadership, while her wicketkeeping gives the Heat flexibility in a squad still searching for its best combination.
There is also a broader significance to her arrival. Bhatia follows Smriti Mandhana, Poonam Yadav, Pooja Vastrakar, Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues in representing the Heat, continuing a strong Indian connection with the franchise. For Indian women’s cricket, her presence in the WBBL is another reminder of the growing global footprint of its players; for Brisbane, it is a chance to turn a season of humiliation into one of renewal.
The Heat begin their campaign against the Sixers at Allan Border Field on Friday, with an open training session for members scheduled from 4 pm tomorrow. Bhatia will not be there for the first ball, but by the time Brisbane face the Thunder in Sydney, India’s latest WBBL trail-blazer will be ready to help write a very different chapter.
I am Yash Tailor, and I believe work should be driven by passion. Therefore, after completing my Engineering, I chose to work in the Cricket industry, my passion. My goal is to reach a stage where I truly enjoy what I do and give my best to every task with energy and purpose.
Source: femalecricket.com
