17-Year-Old Ayush Mhatre Replaces Ruturaj Gaikwad- A replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad has finally been identified by the underperforming Chennai Super Kings (CSK). A minor fracture to his elbow prevented the five-time champions’ captain from playing in the current Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. There has been a lot of talk about the team perhaps calling up Prithvi Shaw as a replacement ever since Gaikwad’s injury report. For those who don’t know, Prithvi Shaw didn’t sell during the IPL mega auction, and Gaikwad’s injury caused rumour mills to work overtime.
CSK has chosen to replace Ruturaj Gaikwad with Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre. Hindustan Times was informed by people with knowledge of the situation that the young player would be a part of CSK’s squad for the rest of the 2025 Indian Premier League.
Ayush Mhatre won’t have enough time to get to Lucknow for CSK’s next IPL 2025 matchup with the Lucknow Super Giants. He will, however, be eligible to be selected for the team’s main game on April 20, 2025, at the Wankhede Stadium against the Mumbai Indians.
“Ayush Mhatre has indeed been named as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s replacement. He has been requested to join the squad. According to the source, he will be ready for selection in the match against the Mumbai Indians on April 20.
Mhatre had already been requested to fly to Chennai for trials by the CSK management. He was confirmed as the successor after impressing the support staff at the time.
For those who are unaware, the young player is well-liked in Mumbai cricket circles. In nine first-class games, he has amassed 504 runs, including one fifty and two half-centuries.
In seven List-A games, he has amassed 458 runs, including two hundreds. In October 2024, he made his first appearance in first-class cricket.
MS Dhoni leading CSK
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming announced that “uncapped player” MS Dhoni would captain the team for the rest of the competition after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the IPL 2025 season. However, in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed CSK by eight wickets, making Dhoni’s comeback to captaincy less than ideal.
KKR, who had eight wickets in hand, knocked down CSK’s total of just 103/9 in the twenty overs that were given to them. The batting department has fallen short of expectations, and one of the most successful IPL teams has been drab this season.
The primary cause of CSK’s difficulties is the lack of batting performance from Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Shivam Dube.
In response to the batting shortcomings, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said, “I know there’s a fascination with power and six hitting, but there’s also a couple of teams doing well with good craft, and I’d be very sad if the day came to us just being in a baseball competition and talking about sixes and fours.” This was before the game against the Lucknow Super Giants.
“The fact that the bat and ball are still in balance makes the game so beautiful. Conditions play a big part, but there’s still room for craft, and you’re still seeing top-class players playing pivotal innings when it’s not flat like a road, and I just hope the balance can remain,” he told reporters at a pre-match press conference.
Legacy and Impact
In a major breakthrough, Ayush Mhatre was named as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s replacement in the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad, becoming one of the youngest to join the franchise. This milestone highlights CSK’s faith in his talent and marks a big step toward his rise in Indian cricket.
