IPL 2026: CSK batter Ayush Mhatre ruled out for the season following hamstring injury vs SRH

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out for the rest of the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) after a hamstring injury he picked up during their game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday, April 18.

According to CSK’s official statement, the right-handed batter will be on the sidelines for anywhere between six and 12 weeks as part of his rehabilitation. 

Mhatre went on to have a decent outing against SRH on Saturday, scoring 30 off just 13 balls to register a strike-rate of 230.77 before being dismissed by Nitish Kumar Reddy as CSK failed to chase down 195, falling 10 runs short of the target. During his innings, he was twice assessed by the physios but was made to carry on despite the discomfort. 

With eight matches left in the group stage, the five-time champions will be in the market to find a replacement for Mhatre in the squad. CSK, however, do have players within their ranks that can replace the 18-year-old in the playing XI. They paid big money to secure the services of Kartik Sharma in the mini auction, but the wicketkeeper-batter has scored just 25 runs from three matches this season. 

Another option at their disposal is Gujarat’s Urvil Patel. The 27-year-old played three times last season and scored 68 runs at a strike-rate of 212.50. Another option for the management is to move Sarfaraz Khan up the order and bat him at number three. 

Mhatre would be a huge loss for CSK, as they continue to face an uphill battle to qualify for the playoffs this season. The top-order batter has played six matches in the 2026 IPL, scoring 201 runs along the way at a strike-rate of 177.87. His best innings came against the Punjab Kings at Chepauk, where he scored 73. He scored yet another half-century against the Delhi Capitals, this time in a winning cause. 

Following their most recent defeat to SRH, CSK currently find themselves eighth in the standings, having accumulated just four points from their first six matches this season.