IPL 2026 twist! Chennai Super Kings call up Mumbai player amid injury crisis

Nothing has gone as per planned for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, who has been dealt with a massive list of injuries. Before the start of the event, they lost the services of their star batter, Dewald Brevis, for a few games while their pacer, Nathan Ellis, got ruled out for the entire competition. 

MS Dhoni, meanwhile, continued to recover from a knee injury that he picked during the practice clash. During the fixture against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Khaleel Ahmed left the field with a heel injury before getting out of the competition.

Injury concerns force CSK into unexpected squad move

But the biggest blow for them was Ayush Mhatre. Their number three batter pulled up his hamstring during the away game against the Sunrisers Hyderabad and was out of the rest of the competition. The right-handed batter had been in a superb touch with 201 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 177.87, thanks to two fifties. 

The Super Kings need a batter in the middle order where none of Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan, or Urvil Patel has done well in whatever opportunities they got. The franchise still has a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

The reports have claimed that the CSK has called the Mumbai all-rounder, Ayush Vartak, for the mid-season trials. They can get the youngster into the team as a replacement of Khaleel, having already signed Akash Madhwal for Mhatre.

See Also: Watch: Krunal Pandya reveals “I prepare myself” mindset ahead of DC vs RCB IPL 2026 clash

“Mumbai and Parsee Gymkhana allrounder Ayush Vartak has been called for mid-season trials by Chennai Super Kings. He will reach Chennai tonight. CSK have suffered due to injuries. They lost Mumbai Ayush Mhatre & pacer Khaleel Ahmed due to injuries.” The report of TOI journalist, Gaurav Gupta, revealed on X.

What this means for CSK’s combination in upcoming matches

The 21-year-old all-rounder is a decent lower order batter with the skill of clearing the fence easily besides bowling right-arm medium pace. He has represented the North Mumbai Panthers and featured for the Mumbai U19 squad. He made his name for himself during the Navi Mumbai T20 league as he smacked 264 runs at a strike rate of 191 with three wickets.

If the franchise wants, they can inject the young player int the squad and nurture him for the future. It’s noteworthy how this franchise has gone away from their approach of experience to finding young bloods into the eleven.