Ayush Mhatre's Replacement Signed By Chennai Super Kings, He Is A Former MI Star
Chennai Super Kings have been dealt major blows in IPL 2026. First, MS Dhoni was ruled out for two weeks due to a calf strain followed by other injury issues to other players
- CSK top-order batter Ayush Mhatre was ruled out of IPL 2026 with a left hamstring injury
- Akash Madhwal has been signed by CSK for Rs 30 lakh as Mhatre's replacement
- Madhwal is a former Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals player
Chennai Super Kings have been dealt major blows in IPL 2026. First, MS Dhoni was ruled out for two weeks due to a calf strain. Nathan Ellis was ruled out even before the tournament began, and Spencer Johnson was called in as his replacement. Left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed has also been ruled out. Perhaps the biggest blow of them all was in-form batter Ayush Mhatre being sidelined. The No. 3 batter scored 201 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 177.88.
Mhatre's replacement has now been named by CSK. Former Mumbai Indians star Akash Madhwal has been brought in for Mhatre. In a statement, the IPL said Madhwal, a right-arm fast bowler, has previously represented Mumbai Indians (2023, 2024) and Rajasthan Royals (2025).
The right-arm speedster has featured in 17 IPL matches, picking up 23 wickets. He also has a five-wicket haul to his name, having recorded sensational figures of 5/5 in his debut season for MI in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants.
Mhatre, India's U19 World Cup-winning captain, made an impactful 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.
Madhwal has joined the five-time champions CSK for a fee of Rs 30 lakh.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), two five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) champions brimming with star power, will take on each other in a high-octane contest at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. However, recent trends suggest that the biggest rivalry in the IPL may be losing the big-match feel and lustre traditionally attached to it.
Meanwhile, the Super Kings will face arch-rivals Mumbai Indians in the high-voltage clash at the iconic Wankhede Stadium.
MI will head into the home fixture brimming with confidence after a sensational bowling performance and a pressure-filled century by Tilak Varma against Gujarat Titans (GT), which earned them their second win of the season. CSK, on the other hand, will aim to return to winning ways following a 10-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), their fourth loss of the season.
Squads Mumbai Indians Squad: Quinton de Kock (w), Danish Malewar, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Krish Bhagat, Jasprit Bumrah, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Mayank Rawat, Raghu Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Shardul Thakur, Will Jacks, Mayank Markande, Ryan Rickelton, Robin Minz, Mohammed Salahuddin Izhar.
Chennai Super Kings Squad: Sanju Samson (w), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Matthew Short, Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Kartik Sharma, Prashant Veer, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Matt Henry, MS Dhoni, Akeal Hosein, Shreyas Gopal, Rahul Chahar, Spencer Johnson, Urvil Patel, Aman Khan, Zakary Foulkes, Akash Madhwal
Chennai Super Kings
Mumbai Indians