Chennai Super Kings have lost young opener Ayush Mhatre to a hamstring injury suffered in their defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the club expects him to be out for six to 12 weeks.
The injury
An official CSK statement said the right-hander will undergo rehabilitation for that period. Mhatre needed repeated attention from the physio during his innings but batted on through the discomfort, making 30 off 13 balls at a strike rate of 230.77. Nitish Kumar Reddy eventually dismissed him, and CSK finished 10 runs short of a target of 195.
Who could replace him
With eight group-stage matches left, CSK must consider their options. Kartik Sharma was bought for a big sum at the mini-auction but has scored only 25 runs in three games. Urvil Patel is another choice; he played three matches last season and made 68 runs at a strike rate of 212.50. The team could also move Sarfaraz Khan up the order.
A major loss
Mhatre’s absence hurts CSK’s hopes of reaching the playoffs. The 18-year-old has been among their best performers, with 201 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 177.87. His highest score was 73 against Punjab Kings in Chennai, and he also hit an important half-century in a win over Delhi Capitals.
After the SRH result, Chennai are eighth on the table with four points from six games, so the road ahead looks difficult.
