Ayush Mhatre has been named as the replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad for IPL 2025.
Mhatre, a right-handed batsman, has joined the CSK lineup after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to an elbow fracture. CSK secured Mhatre for INR 30 lakhs to replace the injured Gaikwad.
Gaikwad had been leading CSK in IPL 2025, but following his injury, MS Dhoni has taken over as captain for the remainder of the season. Under Dhoni’s leadership, CSK recently secured their second win of the tournament against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
So far in IPL 2025, CSK has played seven matches, winning only two, and currently occupies 10th place in the points table with four points, making them one of the season’s underperformers.
Who is Ayush Mhatre?
Ayush Mhatre, a 17-year-old cricketer from Mumbai, plays for the Mumbai team in the Indian domestic circuit. He is a right-handed batsman and an occasional right-arm off-spinner.
So far, Mhatre has featured in nine First-Class (FC) matches and seven List A games for Mumbai. In his FC career, he has scored 504 runs at an average of 31.50, including two centuries and one half-century. In List A cricket, Mhatre has amassed 458 runs, boasting an impressive average of 65.42.
Although he went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction held in Jeddah last November, Mhatre caught the attention of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talent scouts during mid-season trials at Chepauk earlier this month. At the time, he was part of the BCCI’s Under-19 zonal camp in Rajkot, and flew to Chennai for the trials.
Mhatre’s standout performances in the 2024-25 season further bolstered his reputation. He was the highest run-scorer for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, accumulating 458 runs. One of his remarkable achievements was a brilliant 181-run knock against Nagaland, which became the highest individual score of the tournament. Additionally, Mhatre made a mark with the ball, taking seven wickets in four matches. He also delivered solid performances with the bat in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25, where he scored 471 runs in 14 innings, including a top score of 176.