On April 3, young Mumbai batsman Ayush Mhatre was called up by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for their selection trials at Chepauk. The action raised rumours that he would be called up by CSK. Notably, prior to the IPL super auction in November 2024, the five-time winners had also invited him for tryouts.
After receiving a call from CSK today, Mhatre travelled from Rajkot to Chennai. As part of the BCCI’s NCA’s U19 players’ zonal camp, he was at the city of Saurashtra. Kasi Viswanathan, the MD and CEO of CSK, was questioned on the decision. He attested to the 17-year-old’s impressiveness and acknowledged that he had been called for their trials.
“Yes, he has been summoned for trials. According to The Times of India, Kasi Viswanathan stated, “He has impressed our talent scouts.”
According to the regulations, a player can only be added to an IPL team halfway through a season if another player has an injury or is sidelined for any other reason. Many speculated whether any of CSK’s players were injured as a result of Ayush’s trials.
It’s only a trial, and we won’t be choosing anyone: Viswanathan
Viswanathan said that no CSK player was hurt when questioned about it. He asserted that they will notify everyone of any injuries. He affirmed that Ayush was only participating in the trials and that CSK was not selecting any players.
“No, we will do that if necessary. It’s only a trial; we’re not selecting anyone,” Viswanathan continued.
The CSK and other IPL teams’ talent scouts have been impressed by Ayush Mhatre.
The 17-year-old had a successful first domestic season with Mumbai in 2024–2025, winning both the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
The opener amassed 458 runs at a good batting average of 65.42 in seven innings in the 50-over style, including two hundreds and a fifty. Similarly, Ayush amassed 471 runs at a batting average of 33.64 in eight Ranji Trophy matches, including two hundreds and a fifty. His highest score was 176 against Maharashtra.
India
