The 18-year-old, who has become Chennai’s leading scorer this season, sustained the injury during their match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Saturday. This loss pushed CSK down to seventh in the 10-team standings, further jeopardizing their playoff aspirations.
Mhatre was looking sharp during his brief innings, amassing 30 runs off just 12 balls before injury struck. He was seen grimacing and grasping his hamstring in discomfort, necessitating extensive medical attention on the field before he was ultimately dismissed.
The precise nature of the injury remains unverified, but early signs point to a substantial recovery period, which poses a significant worry for CSK given Mhatre’s recent performance at the top order.
“It appears to be a hamstring tear. I’m unsure about its severity,” Chennai’s batting coach Mike Hussey remarked to reporters following the match.
“We’re likely to have him scanned either tomorrow or the day after.
“It looks quite serious, unfortunately. He’s going to be a significant loss since he has been in excellent form for us.”
Mhatre has accumulated 201 runs over six innings with an impressive strike rate exceeding 177. “He’s an exciting young talent, but this opens the door for someone else. So there’s a silver lining,” Hussey added.
“We have some really good players who haven’t had the chance to play yet. It’s an exciting opportunity for one of them.
“While we’re truly disappointed to lose Ayush – I’m uncertain for how long – it’s also exciting for a new player to step in and seize an opportunity.” Chennai is set to compete against the Mumbai Indians in their next match on Thursday.
(With Reuters inputs)
First Published: Apr 19, 2026 4:24 PM IST
