Akash Madhwal with Mumbai Indians - (Source: AFP)
On Thursday, April 23, Chennai Super Kings put an end to the rumour mills and announced replacement for injured Ayush Mhatre. Notably, the five-time winners have roped in former MI seamer to replace the India U-19 captain.
For the unversed, Ayush Mhatre was ruled out of IPL 2026 after he suffered a hamstring tear during CSK's IPL match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.
CSK Sign Akash Madhwal As Ayush Mhatre's Replacement
In the latest events, CSK have signed former MI pacer Akash Madhwal as Ayush Mhatre's replacement for rest of the tournament. Madhwal rose to fame for his heroics with MI in 2024. He later moved to the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.
He has featured in 17 IPL matches, picking up 23 wickets. For rest of the season, Madhwal will earn just 30 lakh rupees.
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For the unversed, Akash Madhwal also took a five-wicket haul for MI in IPL 2023, following which he gained a lot of popularity. Notably, Madhwal has now become the 24th player in IPL history to play for both Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Akash Madhwal, Actually A Replacement For Khaleel Ahmed
It is bizarre to see Akash Madhwal replace Ayush Mhatre, because the Super Kings are yet to announce Khaleel Ahmed's replacement, who too has been ruled out of the league due to injury.
CSK were a bowler short but Akash Madhwal's arrival and Spencer Johnson's return to fitness has boosted the five-time winners. Further, shedding light on Akash Madhwal, he was already seen with MI and CSK a few weeks ago.
Early in the tournament, Madhwal was spotted in MI camp, where he was roped in as a support bowler to help the MI batters in the bat. Notably, he was recently spotted giving trials for CSK alongside several other bowlers.
What Will Akash Madhwal Bring To The Table For CSK?
Akash Madhwal had a bad IPL 2025 where he took just 4 wickets in four innings for Rajasthan Royals. However, the right-arm seamer was not utilised properly. Notably, the 32-year-old bowls good at the death.
Madhwal can also bowl in the powerplay, but the team should wary bowling him in the middle-over. Therefore, it is a good opportunity for the right-arm seamer to revive his career with the Chennai Super Kings.
Now, shedding the light back on Ayush Mhatre, his absence is a big blow to the five-time winners as Ayush Mhatre had scored 201 runs in six innings. His knocks featured couple of fifty-plus scores.
Mhatre is most likely to be replaced by Urvil Patel in the playing XI, who played for CSK last season, but is yet to play his first game of IPL 2026.
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