The Chennai Super Kings suffered a major setback when captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of IPL 2025 due to injury. Mahendra Singh Dhoni has taken over the captaincy in his place, but the team has not officially announced Gaikwad’s replacement yet.

According to reports, Chennai Super Kings is likely to bring in 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre as Gaikwad’s replacement. Ayush was on trial with the team for two weeks, and after his performance, CSK has decided to include him in the squad. Now the big question is — can Ayush Mhatre solve the problems of Chennai Super Kings, who are struggling at the bottom of the IPL 2025 points table?

CSK might have decided to include Ayush Mhatre in the team based on his skill set, because he has not played a single professional T20 match yet. In such a situation, it would not be fair to expect too much from such a young player.

So far, Ayush has only 16 matches of domestic cricket experience. His stats are good, but the team’s real problems need to be solved first. Only then can CSK hope to make a comeback this season, or else the team will stay at the bottom of the points table.

1. Weak Opening Partnership

The biggest problem for the Chennai Super Kings this season is their opening pair. Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway are starting the innings. Sometimes they give a good start, but both are similar-type batsmen. They do not score runs at a quick pace. The team needs to either change the opening pair or make sure one player plays an anchor role and the other bats aggressively.

2. Poor Spin Performance

CSK has three main spinners: Noor Ahmed, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Ravindra Jadeja. Noor Ahmed has done well so far, but both Ashwin and Jadeja are struggling with their form. The team needs to pick between Jadeja or Ashwin, depending on the match conditions, to solve this issue.

3. Middle-Order Struggles

Another big problem for CSK is the middle order. Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, and Shivam Dubey are not performing as expected. Dubey has not looked as strong this season, and both Tripathi and Shankar are in poor form. After six matches, there has been no major change. The team must make changes soon to improve the results.

4. Unsettled Pace Attack

Khalil Ahmed has performed well, but the second pacer keeps changing. Sometimes it’s Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, and sometimes Jamie Overton. This constant change is affecting the bowling. CSK needs to fix one bowler at the other end. Even Mathisha Pathirana did not play in the last match because the impact player was already used.

5. No Match Finisher

MS Dhoni has been CSK’s match finisher for many years, but now, expecting a 43-year-old Dhoni to win matches regularly is not right. Dhoni can still hit a few fours and sixes, but the team needs a new player to take up the responsibility of finishing matches. So far, no one has filled this role.

Now, the big question is: Can Ayush Mhatre solve any of these problems?

The honest answer is — no one can say for sure. Even before Ayush, there are other players in the team waiting for a chance. If they don’t get a place in the playing XI, it will be tough for Ayush, too. Most likely, he will have to wait for his chance on the bench.