CSK name replacement for injured Ruturaj Gaikwad

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have named 17-year-old Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre as a replacement for captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has been ruled out of the rest of the IPL 2025 season due to an elbow fracture.

The five-time champions, who are currently at the bottom of the points table with just one win in six matches, made the announcement on Sunday, April 13.

Mhatre, who went unsold in the auction despite a base price of ₹30 lakh, is expected to join the MS Dhoni-led squad in the next couple of days. 

A CSK source confirmed, “He will join the squad in Mumbai soon.”

CSK are currently in Lucknow for their upcoming clash against Lucknow Super Giants on Monday night at the Ekana Stadium. They are scheduled to face Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on April 20.

Mhatre was picked after attending trials in Chennai, where he competed with Gujarat’s Urvil Patel and Kerala’s Salman Nizar. Former U-19 India captain Prithvi Shaw was also considered, but the franchise decided to go with the young Mumbai talent.

Despite his young age, Mhatre has impressed in domestic cricket. He has scored 504 runs in nine first-class matches, including two centuries and a half-century. In List A cricket, he has 458 runs in seven games, with two centuries to his name. He made his first-class debut in October 2024 and is seen as a bright prospect for the future.