CSK’s Newest Recruit: Who Is Ayush Mathre?

Details:

Full Name: Ayush Mhatre

Date of Birth; July 16, 2007

Age: 17 years

Birthplace: Virar, Maharashtra, India

Batting Style: Right-handed

Bowling Style: Right-arm off break

Role: Opening Batter

Teams: Mumbai, Chennai Super Kings (IPL), India U19, BPCL, New Hind Sports Club

Batting at number 3, Mhatre scored 32 runs off 15 balls, achieving a strike rate of 213.33. His aggressive innings included two fours and two sixes, providing CSK with a significant momentum boost early in their chase. He was later dismissed by Deepak Chahar.

The teenager who was called in as a late injury replacement for Chennai skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad who had fractured his elbow, and the injury ruled him out of the remainder of the IPL campaign. Mathre is back at his old stomping grounds - Mumbai, after being called to the Playing XI by CSK instead of Rahul Tripathi.The situation prompted the management to hand the franchise's captaincy to its icon MS Dhoni, but the team still needed an additional batter to fill in the space left by Ruturaj Gaikwad. After a successful 2-week trial, CSK management decided to hand Mhatre an IPL contract for the remainder of the season. Mhatre has already impressed many members in the domestic circuit. He has played nine first-class games for Mumbai, scoring two centuries and a half century. The batter has also featured for Mumbai in seven list A games in which he has a high score of 181 against Nagaland. Turning start's into big scores is Ayush's specialty. His 148 against Saurashtra during the Vijay Hazare Trophy is also a fine example.

An opening batter, Mhatre made his first-class debut aged 17 for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Irani Cup. A few weeks later he scored his maiden first-class century, with 176 for Mumbai against Maharashtra in the 2024–25 Ranji Trophy. Mhatre became the youngest player to score 150+ runs in men’s List A cricket, surpassing the previous record set by Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Ayush Mathre said"I started Ayush Mathre started practicing cricket at the age of 6. Interviewers asked asked why they sent him to train when he was so young, Mhatre’s grandfather Laxmikant Naik replied that they saw his talent with the bat. He said :We thought whether he becomes something big in the sport or not is a matter of destiny. But it is our duty to push him. We sent him to Vengsarkar Cricket Academy because who hasn’t heard his name? He was a legend before Sachin Tendulkar became one. So we thought we should send him to work under someone of that stature. Ayush has the talent to grow rapidly if he learns from the best.”

Ayush Mathre said"I started to play when I was 6 but my real cricket started when I was 10," the teenage batting sensation told The Indian Express last year in an interview. "I got admission in Don Bosco High School in Matunga and it was my grandfather Laxmikant Naik who took the responsibility to take me to practice every day. So in the morning, I used to go for practice in Matunga, attend school, and then go to Churchgate to attend another practice. My family used to tell my grandfather not to ruin my sleep but now, they too feel that my sacrifice is paying off."

"My father and mother never made me realise that there is financial problem at home. Like if a bat is broken,I didn't ask for a new one. Even today my father travels with me on the local train so that if any verbal fight happens with someone, he will handle it, so that I don't take any negativity when I'm going to bat," he added.