The injury hit Chennai Super Kings are bracing up for yet another hammer blow. This time in the form of Ayush Mhatre, who seems to have torn his left hamstring. It is going to be a big setback for Chennai, who had begun to depend on 18-year-old for good, positive start in what has been a patchy IPL 2026 for the team so far.
The teenager had come into bat as an impact sub for Gurjapneet Singh. He walked out in the second over of CSK’s chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the RGIC Stadium on Saturday night at the fall of Sanju Samson. The batter looked in excellent touch as he raced away to 30 in 12 balls before he pulled up after running a two and clutched his hamstring. He flung his helmet and looked in pain and needed attention from physiotherapist Taifun Simsek.
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Mhatre carried on after lengthy on-field treatment and almost hobbled from end to end as he and Ruturaj Gaikwad took a run off the following delivery, from Nitish Kumar Reddy. But he then flayed the next ball to extra cover, where Heinrich Klaasen held on to a screamer.
Don’t know how bad it is, says Hussey
“Obviously a hamstring tear. I don’t know how bad it is. I’m sure we’ll scan him probably tomorrow or the next day,” Chennai batting coach Mike Hussey said at the press conference after the game. “It looks pretty bad, unfortunately. And he’s going to be a big, big loss because he’s been in really nice touch for us,” the Australian added.
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Ayush has been the Super Kings’ best batter this season so far. The 30 he scored on Saturday took his tally for the season to 201 runs and he got those runs at a strike rate of 177.87. Urvil Patel, who scored 68 runs at a strike rate of 212.50 in three appearances for CSK last season, is on the bench, and might be Ayush’s replacement.
“He’s an exciting young talent, but it’s going to give someone else an opportunity. So that’s exciting as well,” Hussey said. “We’ve got some really good players that haven’t been able to get an opportunity. And so, it’s going to be exciting for one of those guys,” he added.
Not sure how long Ayush will be out
Hussey said they were unsure how long Ayush will miss out on action. “So, as much as we’re really disappointed to lose Ayush, I don’t know how long for, it’s exciting for a new player to come in and get a chance.”
Till the scans take place, it won’t be clear how long Mhatre might be out for, but a hamstring tear could take up to six months to mend depending on what grade it is.
“I mean, it’s hard to say,” Hussey said. “He didn’t last too many balls after the injury, Ayush. But yeah, it’s obviously going to affect his batting because he was hitting the ball so well and scoring boundaries almost at will. So, it’s definitely going to have an effect for sure.”
