Chennai Super Kings fans were in for a surprise on Sunday, April 20, as 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre made his debut for the yellow brigade against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.

The Mumbai-born batter, who has shown promise in domestic cricket, was roped in as a replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad earlier this week.

From Irani Cup Debut to IPL Debut

Mhatre has already built a solid reputation in India’s domestic circuit, having featured in nine First Class and seven List A matches.

His debut came during the Irani Cup clash between Mumbai and the Rest of India in Lucknow.

A right-hander with an aggressive style, Mhatre has been handed the crucial No. 3 spot in CSK’s batting lineup for the high-stakes match against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians.

He comes into the XI in place of Rahul Tripathi, as CSK look to bat first after losing the toss to MI captain Hardik Pandya.

Injury Forces MI to Make a Change

Mumbai Indians, playing at their iconic home ground, have made a single tweak to their starting lineup.

Spinner Karn Sharma, who picked up an injury while fielding against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 17, has been replaced by fast bowler Ashwani Kumar.

Ashwani isn’t new to Wankhede. The 24-year-old speedster from Punjab made his IPL debut here on March 31, 2025, against Kolkata Knight Riders.

He impressed right away, grabbing 4 wickets for 24 runs in four overs and bagging the Player of the Match award.

Big Names Lined Up as Impact Subs

Adding another layer of excitement to the clash, Indian captain Rohit Sharma is slated to come in as an impact substitute for Mumbai Indians in the second half of the game.

Chennai has its own big move lined up, with former MI fast bowler Anshul Kamboj expected to make his entry as their impact sub.

Playing XIs

Mumbai Indials: Ryan Rickkelton (WK), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwani Kumar Chennai Super Kings: Shaik Rasheed, Rachin Ravindra, Ayush Mhatre, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Noor Ahmed, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathiran