Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) have added India wicketkeeper-batter Sushma Verma to their squad for the 2026 Women’s Caribbean Premier League. She replaces Yastika Bhatia, who has left for India A duty against Australia A. TKR have already reached the final after finishing first in the four-team league stage. They will face the winner of the playoff between Barbados Tridents and Guyana Amazon Warriors. The title match will be played on September 17 in Bridgetown.
Bhatia leaves TKR as the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer. She has returned for her India A assignment against Australia A and will captain the three-match one-day series, beginning on September 20, and the four-day game that follows. Her departure has opened a place for Verma at TKR for the knockout stage. It also gives the experienced wicketkeeper-batter a chance to return to franchise cricket at an important stage of the tournament.
For Verma, this move marks a return to top-flight cricket after time away from the national team. She was last in an India team during the T20I tri-series in South Africa in 2023, although she did not get a game. Her only franchise experience so far came in the 2023 WPL with Gujarat Giants. She scored 42 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 79.24 during that campaign. Now, she will get another franchise opportunity with TKR.
Verma has recently worked on improving her hitting skills, and that effort showed in the 2025-26 domestic one-day tournament. She hit nine sixes in six innings, which was the third-highest number of sixes in the competition. Her recent batting work has now helped her earn a place with TKR for the WCPL knockouts. She will join a side that has already secured a direct place in the final and will hope to make an impact when given the opportunity.
“It’s special to be part of the WCPL and I am grateful to the Knight Riders set-up for this opportunity,” Sushma told Cricinfo. “I feel it is the fruit of the hard work I have put into my T20 game.” Verma will be the sixth Indian to be part of WCPL 2026. Apart from her and Bhatia, Shikha Pandey is also with TKR, while Kiran Navgire, Pooja Vastrakar and Harleen Deol are with Barbados Tridents. Her arrival adds another Indian player to the tournament’s group.
TKR have already secured direct qualification for the final after topping the four-team league stage. The second finalist will be decided through the playoff between Barbados Tridents and Guyana Amazon Warriors. The winner of that match will meet TKR in the title clash. The final will be played on September 17 in Bridgetown. TKR can now prepare for the title match while their opponents battle for the remaining final spot.
Verma’s arrival gives TKR another option for the knockouts after Bhatia’s departure for India A duty. For the wicketkeeper-batter, it is also a chance to return to franchise cricket after her 2023 WPL appearance with Gujarat Giants. Her recent work with the bat, including nine sixes in six innings, has been an important part of her progress. With TKR already in the final, Verma will now look to settle into the team and make the most of this opportunity. The Knight Riders will wait for the playoff winner before their title opponent is confirmed.
(Inputs sourced from Cricinfo)
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