Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Tuesday were dealt a body blow as right-handed batter Ayush Mhatre was ruled out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season due to a hamstring injury. The U-19 World Cup-winning captain suffered the setback in CSK’s previous match against SunRisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. However, the five-time champions are yet to name a replacement for the injured batter.
CSK have confirmed that Ayush’s injury will require six to twelve weeks of rehabilitation, hence it wouldn’t be possible for the batter to take any further part in the 19th edition of the T20 tournament.
The franchise made the announcement on social media. Taking to X (formerly Twitter, CSK wrote: “Official Announcement. Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026 due to a left hamstring injury sustained while batting during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. Ayush’s injury will require a rehabilitation period of 6-12 weeks. We wish Ayush a speedy recovery.”
Speaking of Mhatre’s injury and how it happened, the 18-year-old pulled his hamstring after the second ball of the fifth over during CSK’s batting innings. Ruturaj Gaikwad, the CSK captain, called for two runs, and it was then that Mhatre pulled up when he was about to reach the non-striker’s end. The physio came out to attend to the batter, but shockingly, Gaikwad and Mhatre decided to continue in the middle. Two deliveries later, Mhatre lost his wicket and had to be taken off the field by Ramakrishna Ghosh and the physio. His pads were taken by Ghosh and Tommy Simsek, the physio.