Young Mumbai batter Ayush Mhatre catches MS Dhoni's attention ahead of IPL 2025 auction

The final date to submit the retentions list for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) franchises was October 31. Several retentions came as sure shots while many released player lists raised eyebrows. With the IPL 2025 mega auction scheduled to be held on November 24 and 25, teams are back to the drawing board to forge a solid auction strategy.

As the franchises have shed substantial amounts in retaining the key players of their respective teams, this opens the door for the uncapped local cricketers to make their way into the lucrative league. One such talent that has caught the attention of the legendary, MS Dhoni is Mumbai’s rising talent, Ayush Mhatre.

As per TOI, Mhatre is summoned by the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for trials ahead of the auction. The 17-year-old made his debut for Mumbai in the recently concluded Irani Cup against the Rest of India. He impressed everyone by scoring 321 runs in five first-class matches at an average of 35.66 which included one century and as many half-centuries. His standout innings was against Maharashtra in the ongoing Ranji Trophy season. He scored 176 runs at the BKC ground. 

CSK CEO writes an email to MCA for Mhatre’s availability

For the unversed, the Ranji Trophy 2024-25 will pause in between to make way for the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy. The Ranji Trophy will hit a pause on November 16 and the SMAT will start on November 23. Meanwhile, speculations are rife that Mhatre might feature in the 28-member Mumbai probables for the SMAT. Subsequently, CSK have summoned the young batter to appear for trials in the six-day gap between the events.

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Moreover, it is further reported that CSK’s MD and CEO Kasi Viswanath has sent Mumbai Cricket Association Secretary, Abhay Hadap  an email to grant Mhatre permission to appear for trials with CSK in the six-day gap.