Yastika Bhatia Retires Out in India's 26-Run Loss

Yastika Bhatia retired out during India’s chase in Bristol as England won the second women’s T20 international by 26 runs and levelled the series at 1-1. India had reached 109-2 in the 15th over with Bhatia on 33 and Harmanpreet Kaur on 17 before the move changed the chase.

Bhatia and India’s chase

India were 60 from 30 balls away from the target while Bhatia was still batting on 33, a position that put the decision under immediate pressure. She was then retired out, and India slipped to 114-4 in the 16th over.

Harmanpreet Kaur said, “She was not connecting the ball,” when asked about the call. That explained why India chose to remove a set batter in the middle of the chase rather than wait for the innings to run its course.

England’s late push

England had already built the base for the result through Sophia Kemp, who finished 39 not out and helped transform the innings. Lauren Bell, Linsey Smith and Kemp took two wickets each as India’s reply drifted to 142-9 at the end of 20 overs.

The gap was clear in the final numbers. England’s total and the wickets spread forced India into a chase that stayed alive only until the 16th over, and Bhatia’s retirement became the turning point inside a match that England closed out by 26 runs.

Bristol and the series

The result left the series tied at 1-1 after the second women’s T20 international in Bristol. For India, the scoreline now includes a rare tactical choice in the middle of a chase; for England, the win came with a decisive 39 not out from Kemp and a shared bowling return across Bell, Smith and Kemp.