IPL 2025: Ayush Mhatre was very impressive, Fleming says

Dubai: Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming showered praises on youngster Ayush Mhatre who made an impressive Indian Premier League debut against Mumbai Indians on Sunday.

Mhatre scored a quickfire 32 runs off just 15 balls with the help of four boundaries and two maximums in his innings at a staggering strike rate of 213.33.

"We've had a few players through at our training sessions and he was a player that stood out. It's still very hard when you're in a nets situation to get a true gauge of a player, but from a skillset [point of view], he was very impressive and a very composed young man, which is often just as important. So both MS and I were very impressed with the way he held himself together for the trial. And then when the opportunity came up, we've obviously got a view to the future, and he was the name that was pretty easy to pick," Fleming said.

The result went in favour of Mumbai Indians after Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav scored fine half-centuries to hand their team nine-wicket win at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.

"It's probably the position we are in [CSK are bottom of the table] and with the injury to Rutu and the form of others made it quite an easy decision to get him in there he stage seems big but it's one that's familiar. We banked on him being comfortable with his surroundings [at Wankhede] and he certainly looked all that, so it was an impressive debut," Fleming added.

Mhatre, at 17 years and 278 days, became the youngest to represent Super Kings. He surpassed Abhinav Mukund, who made his debut for CSK at the age of 18 years and 139 days against Rajasthan Royals in 2008.