Ayush Mhatre Becomes 3rd Youngest Player to Score a Fifty in IPL History

Ayush Mhatre, just 17 years old, announced himself on the big stage in stunning fashion. Signed by Chennai Super Kings as a replacement for the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad, the teenager made headlines in CSK’s clash against Royal Challengers Bengaluru by becoming the third-youngest player in IPL history to score a half-century — and the youngest ever to do it in yellow.

Mhatre had already shown glimpses of his talent in earlier matches. On debut against Mumbai Indians, he hammered a quickfire 32 off 15 balls, and followed that up with a solid 30 from 19 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He did stumble in the game against Punjab Kings, but bounced back when it mattered most — under the lights in Bengaluru, with a crowd roaring and high expectations on his young shoulders. 

And boy, did he deliver. 

He reached his half-century off just 25 balls and treated fans to a fearless display of clean hitting, especially during one unforgettable over against veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. It was the fourth over of CSK’s chase, and Mhatre absolutely lit it up. First came a delicate dab past a diving Krunal Pandya at backward point for four. Then, shifting across his crease, Mhatre opened up the leg side and cracked another boundary wide of mid-off. The pressure was mounting on Bhuvneshwar, and even a brief chat with Jitesh Sharma couldn’t stop what came next. 

The third ball, an off-cutter, was launched for a towering six over mid-on. Then came a low full-toss — driven straight and hard past the same fielder for another four. With the bowler rattled, Mhatre rounded off the over with two more boundaries, making it 4 4 4 6 4 4 — 26 runs off the over. It was Bhuvneshwar’s second-most expensive over in his T20 career. 

The milestone fifty came in the ninth over, making Mhatre the youngest ever CSK player to notch up a half-century. 

Here’s how the youngest CSK half-centurions stack up: 

• 17 years, 291 days – Ayush Mhatre 
• 21 years, 148 days – Suresh Raina 
• 22 years, 142 days – Sam Curran 

In IPL history, only two players have scored a fifty at a younger age: 

• Vaibhav Suryavanshi – 14 years, 32 days 
• Riyan Parag – 17 years, 175 days 
• Ayush Mhatre – 17 years, 291 days 

Mhatre’s brilliant knock came to an end on 94 runs, falling to a delivery from Lungi Ngidi after facing just 48 balls. It’s rare to see a teenager take on one of the most seasoned T20 bowlers with such composure and confidence. If this is just the beginning, CSK may have found their next big thing.