India suffers major setback as Yastika Bhatia ruled out of Women’s ODI World Cup 2025; replacement announced

Table of Contents

The Indian women’s cricket team has been dealt a significant setback just weeks before the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Thursday that talented wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has been ruled out of the highly anticipated tournament. The unexpected development comes at a crucial time, disrupting the team’s preparations and forcing a last-minute change to the squad. Bhatia’s absence is a major blow to the team’s balance, and the immediate search for a replacement highlights the urgency of the situation as India looks to build momentum ahead of the global showpiece.

To fill the void left by Yastika Bhatia, the Women’s Selection Committee has named Uma Chetry as her replacement. Chetry, who has previously featured for the national side in seven T20 Internationals, will now be a part of India’s squad for both the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia and the Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025. Her call-up means she will no longer be available for the India A squad, which is scheduled to take part in a World Cup warm-up match.

This sudden change in personnel puts a new focus on Uma Chetry to quickly adapt and integrate into the team’s dynamics. The Indian squad is set to face Australia in Mullanpur starting on September 14, before playing two official World Cup warm-ups in Bengaluru. Their highly anticipated tournament opener will be against co-hosts Sri Lanka in Guwahati on September 30, a match where Chetry’s role as the replacement wicketkeeper-batter will be under keen observation.

Also READ: Mithali Raj predicts the finalists of ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025

Bhatia’s exclusion from the World Cup squad is a major disappointment, particularly given her recent stellar form. The left-handed batter sustained a left knee injury during the team’s preparatory camp in Visakhapatnam, an untimely setback that has dashed her World Cup dreams. Her absence is considered a significant blow, given her valuable experience in the middle order and her dependable skills behind the stumps.

Just before the injury, Yastika had been in blistering form, proving her mettle by notching up scores of 59, 66, and 42 in a three-match unofficial One-Day series against Australia A, which played a pivotal role in helping India A clinch the series victory. The BCCI issued a statement confirming the injury, noting that its medical team is closely monitoring her progress and wishing her a speedy recovery. This unfortunate turn of events robs India of a key player who had convincingly earned her spot and was poised to be a vital part of their campaign.

🚨 NEWS 🚨

Uma Chetry named as a replacement for Yastika Bhatia in #TeamIndia’s squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia and ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.

Details 🔽 #WomenInBlue | #CWC25 | #INDvAUS | @IDFCFIRSTBank https://t.co/dD3NBOu2Wp

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) September 4, 2025

Also READ: ICC announces record-breaking prize money for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 – Full details inside

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.