Ayush Mhatre, a 17-year-old cricketer from Mumbai, is stepping up to fill the shoes of Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Chennai Super Kings‘ lineup for the IPL 2025. As reported by Cricbuzz on Sunday, April 14, Ayush is a right-handed batter who made his first-class debut for Mumbai in an Irani Cup match against the Rest of India last year on October 1, 2024, held in Lucknow. He’s expected to join the team in Mumbai in just a few days.
A reliable source close to the CSK management mentioned to Cricbuzz, “He will join the squad in a couple of days.” This move from CSK came late on Saturday when they made the decision to bring Ayush on board. Although he was unsold at the auction, with a base price set at Rs 30 lakh, the team quickly moved to get him on the squad after calling him in for some trials alongside a few other players like Urvil Patel from Gujarat and Salman Nizar from Uttar Pradesh. While Prithvi Shaw was also considered for the spot, it seems the team has opted for Mhatre as the best fit to replace Gaikwad.
Since making his domestic debut last year, Mhatre has participated in nine first-class matches and seven List A games, impressively racking up two centuries in each format. In his most recent List A match, he scored 148 runs against Saurashtra and also had a decent bowling performance, taking one wicket while conceding 33 runs over seven overs.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, unfortunately, had to bow out for the rest of IPL 2025 due to an elbow injury he sustained during a game against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30. With Gaikwad sidelined, MS Dhoni took over as captain, leading the charge in the recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders at MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 11. However, CSK struggled at the plate, managing only 103 runs, ultimately losing the match by 8 wickets.
It’s an exciting time for young Ayush Mhatre, who now gets the chance to make a mark in one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world with a storied franchise like Chennai Super Kings. Fans will surely be looking forward to seeing what this young talent can bring to the field.
