Correspondent, 23 October: While Vaibhav is likely to receive an opportunity to feature in the second T20 match of the series between India and New Zealand, star opening batter Ayush Mhatre has been handed a severe setback. The Under-19 World Cup-winning captain has been ruled out of action for a prolonged period after undergoing surgery for a right hamstring injury.
The development comes as a major disappointment for the Chennai Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2027 auction, particularly as all franchises are set to submit their lists of retained and released players to the board in the coming days. Mhatre sustained a Grade 4 right hamstring injury while running between the wickets during Mumbai's opening Ranji Trophy match of the season against Chandigarh in Mumbai on October 11. Consequently, his participation in the upcoming IPL 2027 appears highly doubtful.
The batter recently underwent a surgical procedure to address the severe injury. According to information provided by the PTI news agency, a BCCI source confirmed the medical intervention, stating, "Ayush Mhatre underwent surgery on his right hamstring on Thursday at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai. This surgery was performed by Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala."
Providing further updates, the source added, "His condition is improving, it may take him approximately 2-3 months to fully recover and return to competitive cricket. The surgery was successful and by Friday morning Ayush was walking slowly with the help of crutches."
This recent setback is not Mhatre's first experience with such injuries. He previously suffered a left hamstring injury on April 18 during a Chennai Super Kings IPL fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Following that incident, he spent three consecutive months undergoing treatment and rehabilitation at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Unfortunately, he sustained this new injury in his very first match after completing his recovery.
Mhatre's absence has forced the Mumbai squad to establish a new opening combination for the current Ranji season. He had initially opened the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal during the game against Chandigarh. However, with Jaiswal returning to the Indian national squad, Mumbai deployed a fresh opening duo of Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Divyansh Saxena for their subsequent match against Himachal Pradesh.
