Ayush Mhatre, a 17-year-old batsman for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), almost led his team to a spectacular chase against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on May 3 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with an incredible 94 off 48 balls. Despite CSK’s final defeat, India’s T20I captain and outstanding batsman for the Mumbai Indians, Suryakumar Yadav, lavished the young player with accolades for his bravery and desire.
CSK, who were chasing a massive total of 214, started slowly but soon picked up speed thanks to Mhatre. He hit Bhuvneshwar Kumar, an excellent bowler, for 26 runs in one over to start. He then continued to keep the scoreboard moving. Suryakumar Yadav complimented his Mumbai teammate on social media.
“Innings filled with intent, bravery, and fire! The future is here. Remember the name,” Suryakumar Yadav wrote on X.
Innings filled with intent, bravery and fire! The future is here👏
Remember the name🔥 pic.twitter.com/jf5kPCITrf— Surya Kumar Yadav (@surya_14kumar) May 3, 2025
Mhatre has quickly established himself since replacing the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad earlier in the season, and the recent knock only served to further his notoriety. His partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (77* off 45) for 114 runs nearly put the Chennai-based team in a winning position.
But when the visitors were about to claim a decisive win, RCB pulled off an amazing comeback thanks to Lungi Ngidi, who tricked Mhatre by using a slower ball and held him to 94. Yash Dayal maintained composure and gave up just 11 runs to give his team a slim two-run victory when 15 runs were needed off the last six.
Stephen Fleming, the head coach of CSK, talked candidly about Mhatre’s attitude, his poise during the trials, and how he has supported it in the IPL 2025.
“He is talented. His hand-eye coordination is good. His swing is lovely and smooth. He is combative. The temperament and ability to perform both in a trial and on the big stage are what I find most appealing about a modern-day T20 player. That is the thing that most impresses me. Having a lot of shots is one thing, but what I respect most is being able to carry out that strategy in front of some of the world’s top players,” Fleming stated following the match.
India
