CSK have struggled with their recent injuries just as they were looking to regain some momentum in their IPL 2026 campaign. Their concerns have increased with star batsman Ayush Mhatre facing a major injury in their last match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Chennai Super Kings had started the season with a hat-trick of losses and did not look like the team that had the ability to come back. However, they did not give up and with some promising performances from Sanju Samson, Ayush Mhatre and their fast bowlers, they bounced back in the competition.

The Ruturaj Gaikwad-led team won the next two matches, defeating Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. However, their winning streak ended too soon when they lost their sixth game to Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

Ayush Mhatre ruled out of IPL 2026? CSK face major setback ahead of MI clash

CSK may not have had many positives in their final season of 2025, but they surely made progress in recognizing one of their future stars in Ayush Mhatre, the young Mumbai opener, who led India’s under-19 team to a World Cup triumph in 2026.

Having had a stellar year, Mhatre came in with absolute confidence and didn’t look back from the second game. Ayush scored 201 runs in his 6 games this season and also scored two half-centuries at a promising pace.

After the strange injury in the last match against SRH, Mhatre was short on space and this time he has been ruled out for the upcoming matches of the 2026 season, as reported by Cricbuzz. This would be a big setback for CSK ahead of their clash against MI at Wankhede, young Mhatre’s home ground.

CSK continues trials to replace injured Khaleel Ahmed in IPL 2026

CSK had faced a major setback before the game against Sunrisers as one of their star players Khaleel Ahmed was ruled out for the rest of the season. Khaleel gave away runs but also picked wickets with the new ball.

Now Chennai is conducting player trials to replace the pacer during the season. According to the latest reports from Cricbuzz, Akash Madhwal, the young pacer, has already conducted trials in Hyderabad for the Chennai Super Kings camp.

Rajvardhan Hangargekar, a former CSK young pacer, will again test Khaleel’s replacement option. The pacer is widely known for his raw pace and sublime ability to bowl quality overs at the death.

Will MS Dhoni return to IPL against MI?

Another major concern for the Chennai Super Kings has been the unavailability of their veteran wicketkeeper-batsman MS Dhoni in the opening matches of the season. Dhoni has been sidelined due to injuries and has been rehabilitating ever since.

Fans were elated when the legend joined the Men in Yellow camp and traveled along with the team to the city of Hyderabad and has now reportedly traveled to Mumbai as well. However, Dhoni’s availability for the upcoming match against MI at Wankhede is yet to be confirmed.

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