The southpaw had made his First-Class debut at the age of 17
Kerala’s middle-order batter Salma Nizar has been called up by Chennai Super Kings three matches into Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 as they go in search of putting their season back together.
Nizar, 27, has been instrumental in Kerala reaching their maiden Ranji Trophy final in the recently-concluded 2024-25 season with a run tally of 628 runs from 12 innings which included back-to-back hundreds against Bihar in a must-win group encounter followed by a knock of 112 not out against Jammu and Kashmir in the quarterfinals.
Nizar was also crucial for Kerala in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 with 200 runs from six games at an average of 40. Even though Kerala didn’t progress beyond the group stages, Nizar’s impressive form continued into the Ranji Trophy.
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In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, India’s national T20 tournament, Nisar was excellent for his state side scoring 169 runs from six matches at a strike rate of 164 and remained not out on three occasions. Nizar’s stunning 99 not out off 49 balls was crucial in Kerala inflicting Mumbai’s only defeat in the tournament before they went on to clinch SMAT 2024.
Besides Nizar, CSK have also called up Mumbai’s young opener Ayush Mhatre after a superb domestic season. Mhatre broke a rare List-A record in the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 when he smashed 181 off just 117 balls against Nagaland, thus becoming the youngest player to score 150-plus in List-A cricket at the age of 17 years and 168 days.
Mhatre has been consistent for the record Ranji champions. In VHT, he was Mumbai’s highest runscorer with 458 runs from seven matches which included two hundreds and a fifty at an average of 65. Even though the teenager wasn’t part of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, he was excellent in the debut First-Class season in the Ranji Trophy scoring two hundreds and a fifty in his tally of 504 runs from 16 innings.
CSK have been looking to fix their middle-order this season after back-to-back defeats against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals. The different combinations with the likes of captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Deepak Hooda, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni has failed to deliver in both the defeats and the arrival of Nizar and Mhatre seems like a big change is about to happen when they face Delhi Capitals on Saturday at the Chepauk.
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