Ayush Mhatre The 17-Year-Old Replacing Gaikwad at CSK

Unexpectedly, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have announced that they have signed 17-year-old Mumbai batsman Ayush Mhatre to play the rest of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season instead of their injured skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad. The cricket community is buzzing with excitement about this transfer, with many people anxious to see this young talent's potential on the big stage.

It is noteworthy that CSK selected Ayush Mhatre, one of the most promising young players in the nation, despite also calling up Salman Nizar from Kerala and Urvil Patel from Gujarat for trials. Rohit Sharma is Ayush's idol, and the young Mumbai batter's skill set includes several strokes that are similar to his cricketing hero's characteristic style.

Who is Ayush Mhatre?

On July 16, 2007, Ayush Mhatre connects him to the Virar suburb of Mumbai. Mhatre proves his exceptional cricketing ability through his rapid career progress, although he is still a teenager. Mhatre shows his batting talent as a right-handed opener and demonstrates the ability to bowl right-arm off-spin.

Cricket became a part of Mhatre's life during his early years before his dedication allowed him to progress up the Mumbai cricket community levels. Domestic cricket identifies him as a member of the Mumbai cricket team, and he has additionally played in India's Under-19 squad.

Laxmikant Naik, Ayush's grandpa, was instrumental in his path. He made sure Ayush got up on time every day and went with him to school and cricket practice.

Ayush told The Indian Express, "My family used to tell my grandfather not to ruin my sleep, but now they too feel that my sacrifice is paying off."

Domestic and Youth Career Highlights

Mhatre entered the first-class format for Mumbai during the 2024-25 Irani Cup competition. Mhatre achieved his first first-class century by scoring 176 runs when playing against Maharashtra in the Ranji Trophy. Mhatre rose to prominence after outstanding performances during the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, which stands as the top one-day domestic cricket tournament in India.

During the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, Mhatre played seven matches and scored 458 runs while hitting two hundred-run innings. Mhatre achieved this record with a score of 181 runs against Nagaland, which became his breakthrough milestone as the youngest man to hit 150 or more runs in men's List A cricket while beating out his Mumbai colleague Yashasvi Jaiswal.

During the Under-19 Asia Cup games of 2024, Mhatre scored 176 runs across his five matches while representing India, which demonstrated his future star potential in the sport.