Chennai Super Kings moved swiftly to plug a growing injury crisis, signing a former Mumbai Indians fast bowler as a replacement for Ayush Mhatre. The young batter was ruled out of the entire season after sustaining a hamstring injury, leaving a void in CSK’s top order.
Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the entire IPL 2026 season (AP)
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Chennai signed fast bowler Akash Madhwal as the replacement for Mhatre. The right-arm bowler had started off as a net bowler for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2019. Three years later, he earned his maiden IPL contract with the Mumbai Indians when he was signed as a replacement for injured Suryakumar Yadav with just two matches left in the 2022 season. Although he did not play a game that year, he impressed the management in the nets, which earned him the big break the following year.
In IPL 2023, Madhwal made his debut for the Mumbai Indians, picking 14 wickets in eight games that season, including a five-wicket haul, recording sensational figures of 5/5 in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants. He played five matches in 2024 for Mumbai, picking just five wickets.
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He garnered some attention at the mini-auction for the 2025 IPL season, where Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings to sign the pacer for INR 1.20 crore. However, he featured in just four matches for the RR, and was later released.
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He garnered some attention at the mini-auction for the 2025 IPL season, where Rajasthan Royals beat Punjab Kings to sign the pacer for INR 1.20 crore. However, he featured in just four matches for the RR, and was later released.
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Madhwal, who had no takers at the auction last December, joined CSK for a fee of INR 30 lakh. He reportedly attended the CSK trials in Hyderabad earlier last week.
Madhwal’s arrival adds much-needed cushion to the CSK pace line-up, which has been hit hard by injuries this season. They had earlier lost left-armer Khaleel Ahmed, while Spencer Johnson — signed as a replacement for Nathan Ellis — also suffered an injury, although the Australian has since rejoined the squad.
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Mhatre, India’s U19 World Cup-winning captain, made an impressive start to the season for CSK, scoring two fifties in six matches before suffering a left hamstring injury while batting in Match 27 against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/CSK bring in former Mumbai Indians pacer to plug Ayush Mhatre void after injury setback
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