Bhatia spent around 18 months on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury, missing the home ODI World Cup triumph in 2025 and WPL earlier this year before returning to international cricket in the T20I series against England in May.

“Patience and resilience is what this journey taught me during the rehab,” Bhatia said during an interaction. “Even if you can’t see the result, the process is what you have to stick to. You have to believe in yourself that you will make the comeback.

“I had the good support of my family, my coaches, and my trainers and physios at COE as well. They had formed a good support system. I had that trust in myself. Through this journey, I am now even more confident about myself and whatever setbacks and challenges I face, I will use them as a fuel to come back even stronger.”

“In this crucial period, the Indian team has been very supportive to me. Amol sir and Harman have communicated with me…They have backed me in this situation, in the Test match I got a chance to play. I could make a century. It really helped me as well. I have the full support of the Indian team. If I perform well, I will get a chance.”

‘This journey does not belong to one person. Everybody involved in backing me, believing in me, gets the credit for that.”

Yastika Bhatia

Through that period, Bhatia drew strength from the Bhagavad Gita. She said the teachings on focusing on one’s actions rather than the outcome helped her stay detached and remain committed to the process throughout her rehabilitation.

“I read the Gita where Karma is the main thing,” she said. “We have to keep working. We don’t have to worry about the results but we have to keep working. We have to be detached from the results. So, I think process is main.”

Recounting her Lord’s hundred, Bhatia said she had broken the innings into smaller milestones. After resuming overnight on 39 on day three, her immediate goal was to bat through the morning session before worrying about the century. Even after reaching the 90s, she said she stayed committed to her naturally aggressive game. But when the landmark finally arrived, the emotions took over.

“When that moment came, I was very emotional. I remembered the things that happened to me in the last three years… This journey does not belong to one person. Everybody involved in backing me, believing in me, gets the credit for that.”

The Lord’s century may have marked the culmination of one comeback, but Bhatia, at 25, sees it as the beginning of the next chapter. Among those who congratulated the Indian team after the victory was Sachin Tendulkar, whose advice to “stay humble and stay hungry” is one she intends to carry with her.

“I am looking forward to the next phase as well. It is exciting to just be on the field,” she said.