Big Blow For CSK! India's U19 World Cup Winning Captain Ayush Mhatre Ruled Out Of IPL 2026 After Hamstring Injury

CSK's injury problems have only worsened with young Ayush Mhatre ruled out of the IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury. Mhatre is one of the in-form batters for the five-time champions and suffered the injury in their previous defeat to SRH. CSK now will hope to rope in a replacement ahead of their blockbuster clash against Mumbai Indians this weekend.

"Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026 due to a left hamstring injury sustained while batting during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. Ayush's injury will require a rehabilitation period of 6-12 weeks," CSK said in a statement.

What happened to Ayush Mhatre?

In the clash against SRH, Mhatre raced to 30 in no time, before a hamstring injury put a dent on his injury. India's U19 captain limped while completing a single, and had to be treated by the physios. He did resume batting but could barely walk. Mhatre then tried to clear the fence and only aim for boundaries, before being caught by a diving Heinrich Klaasen.

He needed medical attention on the field on a couple of occasions before his dismissal, and while walking back, he was assisted by Ramakrishna Ghosh and team physio Tommy Simsek. The batter later underwent scans on Monday to assess the severity of the injury.

CSK's injury crisis

Mhatre's injury adds to a growing list of fitness blows to CSK in IPL 2026. The five-time champions lost Nathan Ellis to injury. His replacement, Spencer Johnson only joined the squad this week. Khaleel Ahmed has also been ruled out with CSK conducting trials to pick his replacement. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni has struggled with a calf strain and is yet to make an appearance in the tournament.