IPL 2025: CSK rope in 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre as Ruturaj Gaikwad's replacement - Reports

Ruturaj Gaikwad got ruled out of remainder of IPL 2025 after sustaining elbow fracture.

As per reports, young Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre has joined the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp for the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He has joined the franchise as a replacement for injured skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad. The regular captain was ruled out of the rest of the tournament due to an elbow fracture.

Gaikwad sustained the injury on March 30 during CSK’s match against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. After stepping out to fast bowler Tushar Deshpande, he suffered a nasty blow on his exposed elbow.

Even after the blow, the CSK skipper kept batting and managed to hit 63 runs, but he was unable to lead his team to victory. Before being ruled out of the competition, Gaikwad played two more games for the five-time champions. MS Dhoni has been appointed the interim captain in his place.

CSK reportedly rope in Mumbai’s 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre as a replacement

According to a report in Cricbuzz, CSK have decided to replace Ruturaj Gaikwad in the tournament with Ayush Mhatre. According to the news source, the franchise decided late on Saturday, April 13.

Mhatre, 17, has been requested by CSK to join the team right away. Mhatre had set a base price of Rs 30 lakhs when he registered for the most recent auction, but he received no bids. According to the report, Mhatre, Gujarati Urvil Patel, and Keralan Salman Nizar were summoned by CSK to Chennai for the trial.

Prithvi Shaw, the out-of-favor opener for India, was also in the running. But in the end, the Chennai-based team has chosen to sign Mhatre.

Since making his senior debut for Mumbai in 2024, Mhatre has participated in nine First-Class (FC) games and seven List A matches. Although he has not yet participated in a senior T20 match, he is regarded as one of the best young players in Mumbai’s cricket community.

In nine FC matches, he has amassed 504 runs, including two hundreds and a fifty. He has amassed 458 runs in List A, including two hundreds.

Currently, CSK are prepping for their seventh game of the season in Lucknow. On Monday, April 15, they will face Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium.

CSK will be itching to defeat LSG and turn their campaign around. They presently sit at the bottom of the points table with just one victory from six games. After winning their first game of the season, they went on to lose five straight.

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