Former India Under 19 captain Ayush Mhatre spoke about former Indian captain MS Dhoni during the press conference ahead of the Ranji Trophy. At just 19, Ayush already carries big responsibility as Mumbai’s vice-captain for the Ranji Trophy and earlier led India to the Under-19 World Cup title. Having spent time in the Chennai Super Kings dressing room under Dhoni, he saw the same quiet composure that fans have admired for years. The advice given to him was simple yet powerful which is to stay composed, think first, then act.
Mhatre said “We have always seen how Mahendra Singh Dhoni remains calm & one of the things I have learnt from him is that anger may last for five minutes but decisions taken in anger can often be wrong. Once you calm down, you can think better. I have tried to follow that approach, stay composed on the field and make better decisions for myself and the team”.
Ayush Mhatre’s CSK Journey Under MS Dhoni
Ayush Mhatre’s entry into the Chennai Super Kings setup came almost by chance. Unsold at the 2025 auction, he earned a mid-season call-up as injury replacement for Ruturaj Gaikwad. At 17 he became the youngest player to represent CSK. His debut against Mumbai Indians produced a fearless 32 off 15 balls. Later that season he almost pulled off a miracle chase with a brilliant 94 off 48 against RCB, earning a simple but memorable “champion” praise from Dhoni himself.
From the first nets session, both Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming noticed the teenager’s composure. Dhoni later told him to back his natural game freely, assuring him the team would not drop him just because a few shots missed. In IPL 2026 Mhatre looked even more assured, scoring at a strike rate near 178 before a hamstring injury cut his season short after six games. Across both seasons he has given CSK explosive starts and shown maturity beyond his years.
