Ayush Mhatre, a promising batter for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), has been advised by his father, Yogesh, not to imitate the playing style of Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) young sensation, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Mhatre impressed everyone with his remarkable innings of 94 from 48 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The 17-year-old was brought in as a replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad and has shown his class from the first match.
Mhatre has scored 163 runs from four innings, averaging 40.75 at a strike rate of 185.22. Following his impressive IPL debut, Mhatre’s father urged him not to copy Suryavanshi’s approach, as their batting techniques are quite different. The 14-year-old Suryavanshi recently made headlines by becoming the youngest player to score a century in T20 cricket, achieving the feat in just 35 balls against Gujarat Titans (GT).
“I’ve told Ayush that he and Vaibhav are two completely different types of batters, and if anyone compares him to Vaibhav, he shouldn’t take it to his heart. I’ve also advised him not to try to imitate Vaibhav or look to score a century like him. There’s no need for Ayush to put unnecessary pressure on himself to achieve big things. He has a long journey ahead,” he told Mid-Day.
“Dhoni calmly said to Ayush, ‘Well played. Keep performing like this in the future’. While it was just a few words, coming from Dhoni, who Ayush respects immensely, it means a lot. Dhoni was showing faith in Ayush’s potential by giving him responsibility moving forward,” he added.
Although Mhatre’s scintillating knock was not enough to secure a win for CSK, his effort was commendable. The five-time IPL champions are currently at the bottom of the points table, with only two victories from 11 matches.