"Playing some shots like these are children's games" - Fans in awe of debutant Ayush Mhatre's fiery knock in MI vs CSK IPL 2025 game

Fans have lauded Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batter Ayush Mhatre for his quickfire innings on his IPL debut against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday (April 20) in Mumbai. Mhatre slammed 32 off 15, with four fours and two maximums.

After being invited to bat first, CSK were off to a slow start, with their openers Rachin Ravindra and Shaik Rasheed falling early. The introduction of Ashwani Kumar into the attack worked in MI's favor as he got rid of Ravindra (5) in the fourth over.

The dismissal resulted in Mhtare arriving at the crease at No. 3. After getting off the mark on his first ball, the right-hander hit a four, and followed it up with back-to-back sixes against Kumar. The shots made it look like he anticipated the lengths early to dispatch them into the stands.

Mhatre continued his momentum to garner odd boundaries against Deepak Chahar in the seventh over. However, the veteran pacer outfoxed him with a slower ball and made him caught at the long-on region.

Mhatre received praise on social media for his intent and confidence in his debut IPL game, with one fan writing on X:

"Debutant 17 yrs. old Ayush Mhatre playing some shot like these are children's games .🫡"

Here are the other reactions:

"I find slight glimpses of Sanju Samson’s playing style in Ayush Mhatre, but with a slightly more open chested stance when the ball is released! ✨" a user posted.

"Ayush Mhatre reminds me of Virender Sehwag. Just watch the ball and smash it, pure hand eye coordination," another tweeted.

"Yesterday, Vaibhav Suryavanshi. Today, Ayush Mhatre. The talent pool of Indian Cricket is crazy 🫡" a user posted.

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Ayush Mhatre had a terrific start to his domestic career

Ayush Mhatre grabbed headlines by scoring 176 runs in four innings of the U19 Asia Cup 2024 in November-December 2024. He also contributed with the ball, taking six wickets.

However, he had already made his first-class debut for Mumbai one month prior in the Ranji Trophy. So far, he has garnered 504 runs in 16 innings at an average of 31.50, with two centuries.

Meanwhile, the stylish right-hander made his List-A debut in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in December 2024. The tournament witnessed him scoring 458 runs in seven innings at an average of 65.42.

Mhatre was adjudged the Player of the Match for his sensational innings of 181 off 117 against Nagaland. His knock helped Mumbai post a colossal total of 403 and eventually win the game by 189 runs.