CSK sign 17-year-old prodigy as replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have roped in young Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre as a replacement for their regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been ruled out of IPL 2025 due to an elbow fracture. The decision was taken late on Saturday, Cricbuzz reported. Although the 17-year-old Mhatre went unsold in the auction with a base price of ₹30 lakh, his stellar domestic performance has given him this opportunity.

Here we decode his profile. A source close to CSK management confirmed to Cricbuzz that Mhatre will join the team in Mumbai in a few days. The CSK team is currently in Lucknow for their seventh game of the season at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Stadium on Monday.



The team has had a tough season so far, with just one win and five losses, sitting at the bottom of the points table. Mhatre was picked after trials in Chennai with other possible Gaikwad replacements like Gujarat's Urvil Patel and Uttar Pradesh's Salman Nizar. Prithvi Shaw, who is out of favor with IPL teams, was also in the mix but wasn't picked in the end.

This selection process shows CSK's dedication to finding the best talent to bolster their team despite having a tough season. Mhatre's road to professional cricket has been one of dedication and hard work. His aggressive batting style drew selectors' attention, fast-tracking him into the senior side at just 13.

This was when his local club Virar-Sainath Sports Club picked him for their senior team The young prodigy made his debut as an opener for the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team in the Irani Trophy against Rest of India last year. The 17-year-old Mhatre has made a name for himself in Mumbai's cricketing circles owing to his impressive domestic performance. In nine First-Class matches, he has scored 504 runs at 31.

50, including two centuries and a fifty. He has also accumulated 458 runs in seven List A games at 65.42 with two hundreds to his name (SR: 135.

50). Last year, he recorded notable scores of 181 against Nagaland and 148 against Saurashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy..