IPL 2025: CSK Bets Big on Teen Star Ayush Mhatre to Replace Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings are throwing a curveball in IPL 2025, and it’s got everyone talking. With their captain Ruturaj Gaikwad sidelined for the season thanks to a busted elbow, the five-time champs have tapped 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre from Mumbai to step into some mighty big shoes. Word is, the call came down late Saturday, April 13, and this kid’s about to get the chance of a lifetime under MS Dhoni’s wing.

CSK’s been having a rough go; five losses in a row have them glued to the bottom of the standings, with just one win to their name. They’re in Lucknow now, gearing up to face Lucknow Super Giants on Monday night, but Mhatre won’t be there yet. He’s expected to link up with the squad in Mumbai in a couple of days, probably just in time for their big clash against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede on April 20. The team’s desperate for a spark, and they’re hoping this young gun’s got it.

Mhatre wasn’t even picked up at the IPL auction; nobody bid on his 30-lakh price tag- but that didn’t stop CSK from noticing him. They brought him to Chennai for tryouts, pitting him against a few other hopefuls like Gujarat’s Urvil Patel, Kerala’s Salman Nizar, and even out-of-favor star Prithvi Shaw. Guess who won the coaches over? Mhatre, with his smooth batting and cool head, got the nod. Mumbai’s cricket crowd can’t stop raving about him; 504 runs in nine first-class games, including two hundreds and a fifty, plus 458 runs with two more tons in seven List A matches. Not bad for a teenager who just started playing big-time cricket last October. Some folks are already whispering he’s got “future India player” written all over him.

With Dhoni back at the helm and CSK’s season on the ropes, Mhatre’s arrival feels like a roll of the dice. Can a 17-year-old turn things around for a team that’s lost its way? Nobody knows, but one thing’s for sure; this kid’s about to step into the IPL spotlight, and all eyes will be on him.

                                               

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