CSK name Ayush Mhatre's replacement in IPL 2026, five-time champions sign former Mumbai Indians pacer from Uttarakhand

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Akash Madhwal on Thursday as a replacement for batter Ayush Mhatre, who was ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Mhatre, who had been a consistent performer for the franchise in IPL 2026 at no.3, was ruled out of the tournament with a torn hamstring, suffered in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18.

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 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Notably, Madhwal was seen at the CSK training a few days ago.

“Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Akash Madhwal as a replacement for Ayush Mhatre, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to injury,” IPL said in a statement.

“Madhwal, a right-arm fast bowler, has previously represented Mumbai Indians (MI) (2023, 2024) and Rajasthan Royals (2025). He 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,” the statement added.

Why CSK signed a bowler instead of batter?

The primary reason for signing a bowler in place of Mhatre stemmed from the fact that the franchise have also lost pacer Khaleel Ahmed due to injury. While there are a lot of young batters who can fill the void for Mhatre in the batting lineup, CSK badly needed a bowler who can assist the likes of Anshul Kamboj, Matt Henry in the bowling department.

Earlier, CSK had lost Australian pacer Nathan Ellis due to injury. "Ayush's injury will require a rehabilitation period of 6-12 weeks. We wish Ayush a speedy recovery," CSK had earlier posted on social media.

All eyes on MI vs CSK today

Meanwhile, CSK will take on archrivals Mumbai Indians (MI) in the high-octane contest at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday. Mumbai Indians would be brimming with confidence heading into the home clash against CSK following a sensational bowling performance and a century by Tilak Varma under pressure against the Gujarat Titans, which earned them their second win of the season.

On the other hand, CSK will be aiming to get back to winning after a 10-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, which was their fourth of the season. However, all eyes will be on MS Dhoni, who is touted to return in Mumbai.

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