Who Will Replace Ayush Mhatre in the CSK Squad for IPL 2026?

The injury woes are getting bad to worse for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. In a latest blow, another key batter has been ruled out of the entire season, which surely hampers the balance of the side.

It is none other than the young batter Ayush Mhatre, who was the shining light for CSK in the IPL 2026. The right-hander suffered a hamstring injury while batting in a game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He attempted to take quick a double and clutched his hamstring.

Who Will Replace Ayush Mhatre in CSK Squad?

Mhatre, one of the best batsmen in IPL this season, looked in immense pain but continued batting. At first, it was stated that he would miss almost 3 weeks of action, however, after the scans, it has now been revealed that he will miss the entire season with the hamstring injury. The news was revealed through CSK's official X account.

Ayush Mhatre was a contender for the IPL Orange cap list this season due to his form. With him being ruled out of the entire Indian Premier League season, CSK would be eyeing a quality replacement. The franchise has been struggling to get going in the IPL 2026 and is reeling at the bottom half of the IPL points table with just two wins.

As a result, they would be looking at Ayush Mhatre replacement 2026 now. For that, the ideal candidate is none other than Karnataka batter Mayank Agarwal, who is a veteran in the league.

Mayank came in as a replacement player for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru last year and played a massive role in the franchise winning the title. He played four games and scored 95 runs as RCB ended their title drought.

Overall, Agarwal has hit 756 runs across 131 matches, including a century and 13 fifties. He was in sensational form in the Ranji Trophy, where he slammed 678 runs at an average of 42.37.

Another Ayush Mhatre replacement could be none other than Anmolpreet Singh. The Punjab wicketkeeper-batter plays in the top order and his attacking brand of cricket is something that CSK would fancy having in their squad.

He was in a staggering form in the SMAT 2025-26, ending as Punjab’s highest run-scorer with 349 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 175.37. Anmolpreet has previously featured in the IPL but went unsold in the 2026 auction.

Yash Dhull, who earlier represented Delhi Capitals, might also be in the reckoning. He was in a red-hot form in the Delhi Premier League (DPL) last year, where he had a strike rate of 167.31. In the Ranji Trophy as well, he was in good form and ended up scoring 434 runs in five games.

Latest CSK Injury Updates

Ayush Mhatre injury adds more to CSK's woes who are already struggling at the moment. A no. of players have been already ruled out to the tournament owing fitness and injury issues, which has impacted the team's performance as well.

According to the CSK injury update, MS Dhoni, the best finisher in IPL, is set to return soon, as per the reports. Dhoni was ruled out of the initial games of IPL due to a calf strain earlier. Apart from him, players like Nathan Ellis and Khaleel Ahmed are also ruled out of the season.