5-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Chennai Super Kings look all set to unleash another young star in the T20 league after signing 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre as the replacement for skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. The CSK captain fractured his elbow, and the injury ruled him out of the remainder of the IPL campaign. The situation prompted the management to hand the franchise’s captaincy to its icon MS Dhoni, but the team still needed an additional batter to fill in the void left by Gaikwad. After a successful 2-week trial, CSK management decided to hand Mhatre an IPL contract for the remainder of the season.
Mhatre has already impressed many in the domestic circuit. He has played nine first-class games for Mumbai, scoring two centuries and a half century. The batter has also featured for Mumbai in seven list A games in which he has a high score of 181 against Nagaland. Converting starts into big scores is Ayush’s specialty. His 148 against Saurashtra during the Vijay Hazare Trophy is also a fine example of the same.
“I started to play when I was 6 but my real cricket started when I was 10,” the teenage batting sensation told The Indian Express last year in an interview. “I got admission in Don Bosco High School in Matunga and it was my grandfather Laxmikant Naik (Nana) who took the responsibility to take me there every day. So in the morning, I used to go for practice in Matunga, attend school, and then go to Churchgate to attend another practice. My family used to tell my grandfather not to ruin my sleep but now, they too feel that my sacrifice is paying off.”
THE NEW SUPER KING OF CSK – Ayush Mhatre
– He is just 17 years old, from Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/iXCcwZEQgP
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 14, 2025
Coming from a humble background, Ayush has his parents to thank for the support he received from them despite financial hardships the family has had to go through over the years.
“My father and mother never made me realise that there is some financial problem at home. Like if a bat is broken, then I didn’t ask for a new one. Even today my father travels with me on the local train so that if any verbal fight happens with someone, he will handle it, so that I don’t take any negativity when I’m going to bat,” he added.
Ayush, who played for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Ranji Trophy campaign, had to be benched when India captain Rohit Sharma marked his much-anticipated return to the nation’s premier domestic red-ball tournament. Mhatre later shared a selfie and note for Rohit, the man he idolises.
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