Yastika Bhatia
Vadodara: When the country was under lockdown amid the COVID pandemic, 21-year-old Yastika Bhatia didn’t waste her time at home. Instead, he practiced batting shots in the parking lot of his apartment in Manjalpur, Vadodara. Bhatia said, “My father tied the net and helped me practice cricket even during the lockdown.”
Her hard work has paid off as Bhatia has been selected in the Indian women’s squad for the ICC One Day International (ODI) World Cup 2022. “I am thrilled as well as nervous as this is my first World Cup. I was hoping to get selected as I did well during the tour of Australia last year,” Bhatia told TOI. He has also been selected for the five-match ODI series in New Zealand.
Asked if he has worked on any particular aspect of his game to prepare for the World Cup, Bhatia said: “I practiced power hitting in the last few months and it has improved my stroke game. I also focused on improving my wicketkeeping skills.
Bhatia made her debut in cricket at the age of eight and later joined Yuva Seva Kendra as a fast bowler. He said, ‘The wicketkeeper’s place in the team was vacant and I tried my hand in it. Later, I became a wicket-keeper batsman,” said Bhatia, who has been receiving tips and training from former India cricketer Kiran More. “He has helped me a lot in improving my keeping and batting apart from improving my mental strength,” he said.
There was more to Bhatia. “He is an exciting talent to watch. It is a proud moment not just for Baroda cricket but for the entire state.” Bhatia, whose sister Joshita is a doctor, is pursuing her graduation in arts. “When I chose cricket as a career, my family supported me,” Bhatia said.
A left-handed batsman and wicket-keeper, Bhatia captained the Baroda team that performed well in the National Under-23 Women’s T20 cricket tournament in 2019. She was also a part of the India ‘A’ team that won the ACC (Asian Cricket). Council) defeating Sri Lanka in a thrilling final at the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup Colombo. She was also in excellent form in domestic cricket. In 2016, he was selected for India’s probable Under-19 camp.
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