CSK have struggled with their recent injuries just at the time when they were looking to regain some momentum in their IPL 2026 campaign. Their concerns have heightened with Ayush Mhatre, the star batter, facing a major injury scare in their last game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chennai Super Kings had started the season with a hat trick of losses and were not looking like the side that had the ability for a comeback. However, they did not give up, and with some promising performances from Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre, and their fast bowlers, they bounced back in the contest.
The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side won the next two matches, defeating the Delhi Capitals and the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, their winning spree ended too soon when they lost their sixth game to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
Ayush Mhatre ruled out of IPL 2026? CSK face a massive setback ahead of MI clash
CSK might not have had many positives in their last season of 2025, but they surely made progress in recognizing one of their future stars in Ayush Mhatre, the young opener from Mumbai, who led India’s U19 team to a World Cup triumph in 2026.
Having had a stellar year, Mhatre came in with sheer confidence and did not look back from the very second game. Ayush scored 201 runs in their 6 games this season and has also scored two half-centuries while striking at a promising rate.
After the freak injury in the last game against SRH, Mhatre was cramped for room, and this time has been ruled out of the upcoming games in the 2026 season, as reported by Cricbuzz. This would be a massive setback for CSK ahead of their clash against MI at Wankhede, a home ground for young Mhatre.
CSK continue with trials to replace the injured Khaleel Ahmed in IPL 2026
CSK had faced a massive setback before the game against the Sunrisers as one of their star bowlers, Khaleel Ahmed, was ruled out for the remainder of the season. Khaleel gave away runs but also picked wickets with the new ball.
Now Chennai are running trials of players to replace the pacer for the season. As per the latest reports from Cricbuzz, Akash Madhwal, the young paceman, has already given trials in Hyderabad for the Chennai Super Kings camp.
Rajvardhan Hangargekar, a former young pacer from CSK, will once again give trials for the replacement option for Khaleel. The pacer is widely known for his raw pace and sublime ability to bowl quality overs in the death.
Will MS Dhoni make his IPL comeback against MI?
Another major concern for the Chennai Super Kings has been their veteran keeper-batter MS Dhoni’s unavailability in the initial games of the season. Dhoni has been sidelined due to injuries and has been rehabilitating since then.
Fans were elated as the legend joined the Men in Yellow camp and travelled alongside the team to the city of Hyderabad, and has now reportedly travelled to Mumbai as well. However, Dhoni’s availability for the upcoming game against MI at the Wankhede is still not confirmed.
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