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It is turning out to be a bad to worse situation for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). On April 18, they did not just lose to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by 10 runs but their in-form youngster Ayush Mhatre suffered a hamstring injury. After the defeat, CSK batting coach Michael Hussey confirmed that it is a hamstring tear and Mhatre is highly likely to miss a few games.
“It's obviously a hamstring tear. I don't know how bad it is. I'm sure we will scan him probably tomorrow or the next day. It looks pretty bad unfortunately. It is going to be a big loss because he has been in nice touch for us. He is an exciting young talent,” Hussey said in the post-match press conference.
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Mhatre gets injured in 5th over
Mhatre suffered the injury when Mhatre attempted a second run. He got medical attention from the physio but decided to continue batting despite pain. On the next ball, Mhatre was limping to the other end when skipper Gaikwad took a single. Unable to cope with pain, Mhatre went for a big shot but was caught by Heinrich Klaasen. As the Under-19 World Cup 2026-winning captain was dismissed for a 13-ball 30, he was in pain. Teammate Ramakrishna Ghosh and the physio Tommy Simsek had to help him get off the field.
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As Mhatre is set to miss at least a few games, Hussey sees it as an opportunity for other players to showcase their talent.
“It's [Mhatre's injury] going to get someone else an opportunity. That's exciting as well. We've got some really good players that haven't been able to get an opportunity. It is going to be exciting for one of those guys. As much as we are disappointed to lose Ayush, I don't know for how long, it's exciting for a new player to get a chance,” Hussey said.
Who can replace Mhatre at no.3?
Gujarat's wicketkeeper-batter Urvil Patel is a like-for-like replacement for Mhatre. Last year, he got three chances and scored 68 runs at a strike rate of 212.50. His 19-ball 37 against Gujarat Titans (GT) stands out.
In 57 T20s, Urvil has scored 1,425 runs at an average of 26.88 and strike rate of 179.47, including three centuries and four fifties.
CSK will have plenty of time to assess Mhatre's injury and his replacement as they take on Mumbai Indians (MI) next on April 23 at Wankhede Stadium.
If Urvil doesn’t get a chance, they can promote Matthew Short up the order. In case MS Dhoni returns, he will play against MI or Prashant Veer can be slotted in the middle order.
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