India’s U19 World Cup-winning captain and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the ongoing IPL 2026 season after suffering a hamstring injury, dealing a major setback to the franchise’s campaign.The young top-order batsman took to social media to share an emotional message for CSK fans, expressing both disappointment and determination to return stronger after recovery. “Disappointed to not be able to contribute to @chennaiipl anymore in IPL 2026, but promise to come back stronger,” Mhatre wrote in an Instagram caption while sharing photos from his season with CSK.He also thanked the supporters and extended his best wishes to the team for the remainder of the tournament.“Wishing the team all the best for the rest of the season. Thanks for all the yellow and support,” he added.CSK officially confirmed his absence on Tuesday, stating that Mhatre picked up the injury during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. The franchise further clarified the recovery timeline.“Ayush Mhatre has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2026 due to a left hamstring injury sustained while batting during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. Ayush’s injury will require a rehabilitation period of 6-12 weeks. We wish Ayush a speedy recovery,” CSK said in its statement.Mhatre’s absence adds to CSK’s growing injury concerns this season. He becomes the third player from the squad to be ruled out, following bowlers Khaleel Ahmed and Nathan Ellis. Former captain MS Dhoni has also not featured yet in the tournament as he continues to recover from a calf injury picked up during a pre-season practice session.Before his injury, Mhatre had been CSK’s most consistent batter this season. In six matches, he scored 201 runs at an average of 33.50 and a striking rate of 177.88, emerging as their highest run-getter in the campaign so far.CSK’s struggles were further highlighted in their recent 10-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, a result that pushed them down to seventh place in the points table with four points from six matches. They will next take on Mumbai Indians on Thursday, looking to bounce back amid a difficult run of form and mounting injury setbacks.
