Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 4: Despite Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) exit from the IPL 2025 playoff contention, head coach Stephen Fleming has pinpointed 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre as a significant positive for the franchise during a challenging season.

CSK faced a narrow two-run defeat against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday night. However, Mhatre's remarkable innings of 94 runs off just 48 deliveries stood out, making him only the third player in IPL history to score a half-century at the young age of 17 years and 292 days.

In the post-match analysis, Fleming showered praise on the young right-handed batsman, emphasizing Mhatre's impressive temperament and composure.

"It's sometimes hard to articulate, but there's an inherent quality in his approach," Fleming stated. "His composure, in particular, has impressed me immensely. He possesses talent, excellent hand-eye coordination, and a graceful, powerful swing. He embodies the aggression we look for in a contemporary T20 player. Yet, it's his temperament and ability to perform under pressure, both in trials and on the grand stage, that I find most remarkable."

Fleming further elaborated on Mhatre's seamless integration into the CSK squad. "Our camp environment is typically relaxed, which has always been our philosophy. He has teammates who have observed him previously, with Shivam Dube being one of them. Again, his maturity shines through. He integrated effortlessly. Often, it's not just the team's influence, but his inherent demeanor. He exuded comfort from day one, and the team reciprocated that comfort. We are optimistic that this marks the beginning of a long and fruitful association."

Mhatre joined CSK as a replacement for captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was sidelined due to an elbow injury after five matches. He made his T20 debut against the Mumbai Indians (MI), scoring a brisk 32 runs off 15 balls. This was followed by another quickfire innings of 30 runs off 19 deliveries against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).

During Saturday's match in Bengaluru, Mhatre displayed his attacking prowess by taking on Bhuvneshwar Kumar, statistically one of the IPL's premier powerplay bowlers, for 26 runs in a single over, smashing five boundaries and a six.

Reflecting on the recent emergence of teenage talents, following Rajasthan Royals' 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi's record-breaking 35-ball century a week prior in Jaipur (the fastest by an Indian in the IPL and the second-fastest overall), Fleming commented, "It's extraordinary to witness such fearless cricket. However, skill is paramount, and the ability of these young players to execute their skills against some of the world's best bowlers is truly remarkable."

He concluded, "Age is irrelevant, whether you're 14, 18, or 21. The innings we've witnessed, especially from these two youngsters, have been of the highest caliber. They demonstrate a maturity that belies their years and a skill set that is quite formidable."