He made a 15-ball 32 on his IPL 2025 debut.
Despite being just 17 years old, Ayush Mhatre has left a trail of inspiring stories behind him. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter took full advantage of his opportunity when he was called upon as an injury replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad. Playing just his first Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 game ever, he slammed a 15-ball 32 against the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium. Though CSK didn’t cross the victory line that night, Ayush has left an everlasting impression. More so, batting against his idol, Rohit Sharma, must’ve made him feel that his tough journey so far was all worth it.
Hailing from Virar, just outside Mumbai, Ayush is any other young kid who dreams of donning the India jersey. What makes his journey special is not just his skills with the willow, but his humility for the sport and his idol. Not many moons ago, the Indian skipper returned to the Ranji Trophy among other international players. The mandatory inclusion of Rohit meant Ayush had to be dropped from Mumbai’s playing XI. What followed is the teen’s heartfelt note.
“Started playing cricket by watching him bat on television, to sharing a dressing room with my idol was such an unreal moment. Lots of learning to take forward.”
Inherently, Ayush’s ball-striking and fearlessness match Rohit’s style of playing. Dinesh Lad, childhood coach of the MI opener and the Mumbai U-19 team, drew these similarities.
“He is very confident like Rohit and extremely positive as well, which was certainly visible in his knock against MI. Rohit used to play in the same manner back when he was 15 as Ayush is playing right now,” Dinesh said to The Times of India.
Dinesh also noted Ayush’s punctuality, which translates to respect and dedication for the game.
“I noted Ayush’s talent and fluid stroke play when we first met back when he was 10 years old. He was very particular about coming on time, even then, despite travelling from Nala Sopara [near Virar], which is very far from Mumbai. Another aspect which shines through about Ayush is his hunger to get big runs, which has been a factor behind his rapid growth,” he added.
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Ayush’s journey may appear as a fairytale come true. But the more we dig deeper, the more we’re stunned by his humble roots. Prashant Shetty, the player’s coach, shared how Ayush was depressed because his dream of representing India in the Under-19 World Cup was shattered.
“Ayush wasn’t picked among the top-30 NCA players last year because he failed to perform in the inter-camp matches. He was in a very depressed sort of mentality at that point. We started off by working on his technique, resulting in a confidence boost. Ayush worked really hard during that period, travelling to different parts of Mumbai for matches as well as undergoing two practice sessions a day. He never looked back after getting a call-up for a local tournament called KACA, scoring runs freely. Being dropped also made Ayush even hungrier to score. He got 51 runs in the first match of the KACA but remarked later that he should have got a hundred. That day I realised that he has really matured as a cricketer because he could have easily been happy with the half-century,” said the cricketer’s coach.
Ayush’s standout performance in the KACA set off a chain reaction, earning him selections for the Irani Trophy, Ranji Trophy, India U-19, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and ultimately, the IPL. But this rise was no accident as it came after immense effort, both on and off the field. Ayush overhauled his lifestyle to move closer to his lifelong dream.
“I told him, ‘If you want to play for India, you need to improve your diet and fitness more than anything’. If you compare his current fitness levels with what he looked like back in 2019/20, there is a huge difference. I frankly said, ‘This won’t work. You have to change.’ Ayush used to run and practice fielding on the beach. We started working on his bowling as well. Ayush wants to become an all-rounder,” stated Shetty.
Ayush’s father, Yogesh Mhatre, quit his bank job to pay attention to his son’s passion, despite the family’s modest financial background. With unwavering support from his family, Ayush has grown up with a strong sense of purpose and humility. These qualities continue to ground him, even as he rises through the ranks.
I can assure two things: Firstly, he will definitely hit the ball if it is in his arc, and secondly, he’ll stay grounded irrespective of fame,” Shetty concluded.
The teen sensation is expected to feature in more CSK games in the rest of the IPL 2025. MS Dhoni & Co. will play a home fixture in Chepauk against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 25. The Super Kings need to win consistently to stay in contention for the Playoffs.
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