CSK sign THIS former MI pacer as replacement for Ayush Mhatre in IPL 2026
Ayush Mhatre was ruled out of IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are set to face their arch-rivals, the Mumbai Indians (MI), in the upcoming clash of the Indian Premier League 2026. The encounter will take place on April 23 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Recently, Chennai have suffered a big blow as Ayush Mhatre was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. He suffered a hamstring injury while batting in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Initially, he was expected to miss a few games and return in the latter stage of the tournament. However, CSK informed that he would need 6-12 weeks to recover and would not be able to return to the league.
His injury came as a big blow for CSK, as Mhatre has shown a brilliant form in IPL 2026 and is CSK’s leading run-scorer with 201 runs, including two half-centuries. Now, Chennai have named a replacement for him.
Akash Madhwal replaces Ayush Mhatre in the CSK squad
Former Mumbai Indians pacer Akash Madhwal has replaced Ayush Mhatre in the CSK squad for the remainder of the IPL 2026.
Madhwal is a right-arm pacer and has previously represented Mumbai in the 2023 and 2024 editions. He is known for his sensational five-wicket haul (5/5) in IPL 2023 Qualifier against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). His brilliant bowling show helped Mumbai to reach Qualifier 2, where they lost to the Gujarat Titans (GT).
He later joined the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025. Madhwal was part of the IPL 2026 mini-auction but did not find any bidders. He had a base price of INR 30 lakh and was signed at the same price by CSK.
Who has replaced Ayush Mhatre in CSK squad in IPL 2026?
Akash Madhwal has replaced Ayush Mhatre in CSK squad in IPL 2026.
Why was Ayush Mhatre ruled out of IPL 2026?
Mhatre was ruled out of IPL 2026 due a hamstring injury.
When will the MI vs CSK match take place?
The MI vs CSK match will take place on April 23 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.