NEW DELHI: In a season full of surprises, Chennai Super Kings have nowheadlines by handing a debut to 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, now the youngest player to ever represent the franchise in IPL history.
The Mumbai-born batter replaced the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was ruled out due to an elbow injury, and made an immediate impact during CSK’s high-stakes match against the Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium.
Also Visit: MI vs CSK IPL Live Score
Mhatre wasn’t picked during the IPL 2025 mega auction in Jeddah but caught CSK’s attention during mid-season trials at Chepauk.
Flown in from Rajkot while attending a BCCI U-19 zonal camp, the youngster impressed CSK’s scouting network and earned a contract worth RS 30 lakh.
Youngest players to represent CSK in IPL
- 17y 278d – Ayush Mhatre vs MI, Wankhede, 2025
- 18y 139d – Abhinav Mukund vs RR, Chennai, 2008
- 19y 123d – Ankit Rajpoot vs MI, Chennai, 2013
- 19y 148d – Matheesha Pathirana vs GT, Wankhede, 2022
Who is Ayush Mhatre?
Ayush Mhatre is a highly rated right-handed batter who represents Mumbai in domestic cricket.
At just 17 years and 278 days old, he became the youngest player to don the yellow jersey for CSK and scored a brisk 32 off 15 balls before Deepak Chahar brought his innings to an end.
Before his IPL debut, he had already built a promising domestic resume with 458 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and 471 in the Ranji Trophy, including three centuries.
Mhatre has played nine First-Class games and seven List A matches, amassing nearly 1,000 runs across formats.
His mature shot selection, coupled with an attacking mindset, has set him apart from his peers and caught the attention of CSK’s experienced talent scouts.
In his IPL debut, Mhatre smashed two sixes and four fours. Facing Ashwani Kumar and Deepak Chahar, he showed great intent and composure, even dispatching a short ball into the deep stands with ease.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan confirmed that Mhatre had impressed during trials and was handpicked by the management to fill in for the injured Gaikwad.
With MS Dhoni back as captain and CSK in the playoff race, Mhatre’s youthful energy could be just what the team needs.
While it’s still early days, Ayush Mhatre’s fearless debut has already made him a player to watch this season. Whether he becomes a regular fixture in the CSK batting lineup remains to be seen, but for now, he’s taken a big first step under the brightest lights in cricket.
Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.
