IPL 2025: 17-Year-Old Ayush Mhatre Joins CSK as Replacement for Injured Ruturaj Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have picked 17-year-old Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre as a replacement for their injured captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been ruled out of IPL 2025 due to a fractured elbow. Mhatre was recently called for a trial session with CSK and impressed the coaching staff with his performance. Now, with Gaikwad out of the tournament, the youngster has officially joined the squad.

Mhatre has already shown great promise in domestic cricket. He has played nine first-class matches for Mumbai, scoring two centuries and a half-century. In List A games, he scored a massive 181 against Nagaland and another big hundred (148) against Saurashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He made his Ranji debut last year in the Irani Trophy and was promoted early due to his attacking style and maturity at the crease.

Ayush comes from Virar, a small suburb near Mumbai, and had to travel long hours for practice every day. His cricket journey started at age 6, and his grandfather played a huge role in supporting him, taking him daily to training sessions across Mumbai. His family has faced financial struggles, but they never let it affect his cricket. Even today, his father travels with him on trains to help him stay calm and focused before matches. A big fan of Rohit Sharma, Mhatre now gets a chance to represent CSK and live his IPL dream.