CSK Summon Mumbai Teenager Amid IPL 2025 Struggles. Here Is The Reason

Mumbai's 17-year-old opener Ayush Mhatre has been called up by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for mid-season trials. Since Mhatre went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction last year in Jeddah, he can only come in CSK as a replacement player in case of any injury/unavailability of a player. Speaking to the Times of India (TOI), CSK CEO Kasi Viswanath confirmed that they have indeed called Mhatre up for mid-season trials. However, he insisted that there are no injuries in the team and Mhatre has only been called up for trials.

"Yes, we've called him for trials. He has impressed our talent scouts," CSK MD & CEO Kasi Viswanathan told TOI.

"No, if there's any need, we'll do that. We're not picking anybody, it's just a trial," he added.

For the unversed, CSK had also called Mhatre for trials last year in November.

"I got a call from CSK's talent scout team for trials. While it's a huge honour and every youngster dreams of playing alongside Mahendra Singh Dhoni, my focus right now is on red-ball cricket. I want to finish the Ranji season on a high," Mhatre had told PTI.

Mhatre enjoyed a breakout season with the bat for Mumbai in 2024-25, scoring 458 runs in seven matches, with two hundreds and one fifty in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and 471 runs in eight matches with two centuries and one fifty in the Ranji Trophy.

Meanwhile, CSK are yet to find a solid footing in the IPL 2025 and have lost two of their last three matches. While their top-order has blown hot and cold, barring Noor Ahmad none of the CSK bowlers have been consistent.

CSK have suffered two defeats in three matches so far, including a narrow six runs loss to Rajasthan Royals earlier this week.

CSK are currently placed seventh in the points table with two points in three games. The Chennai-based franchise will take on Delhi Capitals at MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 5.

CSK Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad,(C), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.

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