Ayush Mhatre’s father cautions him against emulating Vaibhav Suryavanshi, CSK youngster gets special praise from MS Dhoni
New Delhi: The Indian Premier League 2025 has showcased several promising young players. Three players have garnered significant attention: Priyansh Arya (Punjab Kings), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals), and Ayush Mhatre (Chennai Super Kings). Mhatre, notably, attracted media interest prior to joining CSK, following impressive performances during trials. His selection by Chennai represents a historic moment for the young player.
Ayush Mhatre, a young IPL debutant, replaced the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad. He impressed in his first two games, scoring 32 and 30 runs. His outstanding performance against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he amassed 94 runs from 48 balls (including nine fours and five sixes), truly showcased his potential. Although his innings propelled Chennai Super Kings to a competitive 214, RCB narrowly won by two runs.
Ayush Mhatre’s impressive, albeit slightly short of a century, performance has garnered attention, despite not matching the exceptional scores achieved by Suryavanshi and Priyansh. However, his father cautions against premature celebrations, emphasizing the need for continued focus and development rather than comparisons to other young players.
“I’ve told Ayush that he and Vaibhav are two very different batsmen and that if someone compares him with Vaibhav, he should not keep that in mind. I have also told him not to try to imitate Vaibhav or look to score a century like him. I believe there is absolutely no need for Ayush to take any pressure upon himself and try to do big things. He has a long way to go,” Yogesh told Mid-Day.
Despite his team’s loss, CSK player Mhatre was elated after a strong performance, receiving praise from MS Dhoni. Dhoni’s commendation, relayed by Mhatre in a CSK YouTube video as “Well done, Champion,” was particularly meaningful to the young player. However, Mhatre’s father added further details to the interaction not included in his son’s account.
“Ayush was happy with his innings, but wanted to win the game as CSK were very close to beating RCB. But after the game, Ayush had an interaction with the legendary Dhoni, and was extremely thrilled,” said Yogesh.
“Dhoni calmly said to Ayush, ‘Well played. Aage isi tarah achha karte rehna hai’ [in future you have to keep performing well just like this]. It may have been just a few words but, coming from Dhoni, who Ayush respects immensely, the words mean a lot. It felt that Dhoni was showing belief in Ayush’s ability by entrusting him with an important responsibility going forward.”
During his innings, Mhatre emphasized a proactive batting strategy for his team, aiming for one or two aggressive shots per over. Even a modest two boundaries per over was considered sufficient. He shared a significant 114-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, acting as a support player while Jadeja scored freely. Following Jadeja’s dismissal, Mhatre increased his attacking play. Despite a shaky start at 10/2, CSK maintained composure, with Mhatre’s confidence and calculated approach proving crucial. He navigated a difficult period before accelerating his scoring rate once he was settled.
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