Who is Ayush Mhatre: Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have roped in 17-year-old Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre as the replacement for their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been ruled out of the ongoing IPL 2025 due to an elbow injury.
CSK’s campaign is currently in the doldrums as the five-time champions are struggling at the bottom of the points table, with only two points to their name in six outings. CSK won their first match of the season against MI but then lost five consecutive matches. This is the first time in their IPL history that they have lost three consecutive home games at the Chepauk.
Their batting method has been outdated. CSK’s batting department also took a huge hit when Gaikwad was ruled out from the rest of the tournament due to a fracture in his elbow.
CSK have now signed Mhatre, who is only 17 years of age but has played domestic cricket for Mumbai recently.
Who is Ayush Mhatre? CSK Sign 17-Year-Old As Ruturaj Gaikwad Replacement
Ayush Mhatre, who hails from Virar, is a 17-year-old batsman who plays domestic cricket for Mumbai. Mhatre is an opener and is known for his aggressive penchant. He has played 9 first-class matches for Mumbai, having made his FC debut in October 2024. He averages 31 in FC cricket with two centuries and one half-century to his name.
Mhatre has an even more impressive record in his short List A career. In 7 List-A innings, he has plundered 458 runs at an average of 65, hitting two centuries and one fifty. In List A cricket, Mhatre has a terrific strike rate of 135, something many batsmen don’t even have in T20 cricket.
His highest score in List A cricket is 181, which he made against Nagaland in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024/25. In the same tournament, he also smashed a blazing knock of 148 against Saurashtra.
Mhatre is reported to link up with the CSK squad ahead of CSK’s match against MI on April 20 at the Wankhede Stadium. Mhatre had attended the pre-season trials at CSK. However, CSK didn’t bid for him during the mega auction, and he went unsold. He had also represented Mumbai at the Under-23 level and India in the U19 Asia Cup.
Ayush’s grandfather, Laxmikant Naik, was a key contributor to his becoming a cricketer.
“My family used to tell my grandfather not to ruin my sleep, but now they too feel that my sacrifice is paying off,” Ayush told The Indian Express.
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