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CSK sign 17-year-old youngster as replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad; Prithvi Shaw's IPL exile continues
CSK have decided to bring 17-year-old Mumbai opener as the replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The struggling Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have finally zeroed in on a replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad. The five-time champions' skipper was ruled out of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 edition due to a hairline fracture on his elbow. Since Gaikwad's injury update, there has been a lot of buzz regarding the franchise potentially calling up Prithvi Shaw as a replacement. For the uninitiated, Prithvi Shaw went unsold in the IPL mega auction, and the injury to Gaikwad led to rumour mills working overtime.
However, the franchise, which is currently languishing at the bottom of the points table, has narrowed in on a 17-year-old youngster as Ruturaj Gaikwad's replacement.
CSK have decided to bring Mumbai opener Ayush Mhatre as the replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad. Sources privy to developments confirmed to Hindustan Times that the youngster would join the CSK squad for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season.
There is not enough time for Ayush Mhatre to travel to Lucknow for CSK's next match against Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2025. However, he will be available for selection for the franchise's marquee fixture against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on April 20, 2025.
"Yes, Ayush Mhatre has been identified as the replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad. He has been asked to link up with the squad. He will be available for selection for the April 20 fixture against Mumbai Indians," the source confirmed.
Earlier, the CSK management had asked Mhatre to travel to Chennai for trials. He impressed the support staff then, and hence, he was confirmed as the replacement.
For the uninitiated, the youngster is highly regarded within the Mumbai cricket circles. He has scored 504 runs in 9 first-class matches, including two half-centuries and one fifty.
He has scored 458 runs in seven List-A matches, including two centuries. He made his debut in first-class cricket in October 2024.
MS Dhoni leading CSK
When Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the IPL 2025 season, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed that "uncapped player" MS Dhoni would lead the side in the remainder of the tournament. However, Dhoni's return to captaincy did not get off to an ideal start, as CSK was hammered by eight wickets by defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
CSK managed just 103/9 in the allotted twenty overs, and this target was chased down by KKR, who had eight wickets in hand. One of the most successful IPL franchises has been lacklustre this season, and the batting department has failed to live up to the task.
Rahul Tripathi, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, and Shivam Dube have failed to impress with the bat, which is the main reason behind CSK's struggles.
Ahead of the match against Lucknow Super Giants, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming addressed the batting failures, saying, "I know there's a fascination with power and six hitting, but there's also a couple of teams doing well with good craft, and I'd be very sad if the day came to us just being in a baseball competition and talking about sixes and fours."
"The beauty of the game is that there's still balance between bat and ball. Conditions play a big part, but there's still room for craft, and you're still seeing top-class players playing pivotal innings when it's not flat like a road, and I just hope the balance can remain," he told reporters at a pre-match press conference.
