Ayush Mhatre is relatively lesser experienced compared to Shaik Rasheed but has been better in terms of form over the past few months
Chennai Super Kings finally made amends to their opening duo by adding Shaik Rasheed in place of Devon Conway. The uncapped star fared decently, managing to score 27 off 19 deliveries on his IPL debut, including 6 fours. However, he may pave way for Ayush Mhatre, who has been named as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s replacement.
Ayush Mhatre better than Shaik Rasheed?
Both Rasheed and Mhatre have had a prolific run in the domestic circuit. Although the AP batter is more experienced than the Mumbai opener, the latter seems to have fared pretty well since he has made his debut in 2024. In fact, Mhatre was selected as Gaikwad’s replacement after two trials, including one that occurred mid-season right after the CSK skipper got hit on his elbow against RR.
Rasheed made his debut in domestic cricket much before Mhatre. He started off his career in 2022. In fact, he was a part of the CSK camp in 2023 as well. However, he only got a chance to make his IPL debut in 2024 against LSG.
He has a decent record in first-class, List A and T20 cricket. With 379 runs from 18 T20s, he averages 29.15.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-class | 19 | 1204 | 37.62 |
| List A | 12 | 128 | 11.63 |
| T20 | 18 | 379 | 29.15 |
On the other hand, Mhatre made his first-class and List A debut only in 2024. However, the Mumbai opener had a stellar season. Such was the impact he made that he was called for a mid-season trial by CSK despite attending a trial before the mega-auction where he went unsold.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-class | 9 | 504 | 31.50 |
| List A | 7 | 458 | 65.42 |
While Rasheed did provide glimpses of his prowess in the game against LSG, CSK might be tempted to try Mhatre from their next encounter onwards. After all, the Mumbai batter enjoyed more success in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in 2024 compared to Rasheed.
Timeline of Gaikwad’s injury & Mhatre’s trial
- November 2024: CSK ask Mhatre to travel for trials to camp in Chennai
- November 2024: Mhatre goes unsold in IPL 2025 mega auction
- March 30: Gaikwad gets struck on elbow in game against RR
- April 4: Mhatre asked to appear for mid-season trials
- April 5: CSK captain plays in game against DC
- April 8: Gaikwad plays another game against PBKS
- April 10: Gaikwad ruled out of remainder of IPL
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Why Ayush Mhatre is better suited to be CSK’s opener than Shaik Rasheed in IPL 2025
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