The CSK prodigy will lead India in the U19 World Cup 2026.
18-year-old Ayush Mhatre caught plenty of eyeballs during his impactful Indian Premier League (IPL) debut season with one of the most successful franchises, Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
Mhatre’s childhood coach Prashant Shetty recently opened up on how the IPL 2025 stint with CSK helped the batter to hone his captaincy skills. The squad, rich in experience and under the guidance of arguably India’s most successful captain MS Dhoni, offered numerous learnings to shape his leadership mindset.
“I have seen a lot of improvement in his captaincy, especially after his stint with CSK. His calm demeanour, tactical decisions, and composure on the field have really improved. As a captain, he is doing very well and ticking all the right boxes,” he stated to RevSportz.
However, though the prodigy has been brilliant in managing the India U19 squad so far, Shetty believes that Mhatre should better his game with the willow. He acknowledged the youngster’s opportunity to lead the national side in the upcoming U19 World Cup 2026 and advised him to be focused for the marquee event.
“Although, as a batter, there’s still room for improvement, and that should be his focus. Leading your country at the World Cup is a huge responsibility and a great honour. Pressure will be there, but focus on your role and your process,” added the coach.
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The CSK player recently captained the team to the final of the U19 Asia Cup 2025. But despite a dominating, unbeaten run throughout the tournament, they fell short in the ultimate hurdle. A massive 191-run defeat against Pakistan U19 in the summit clash restricted the Boys in Blue from clinching their ninth U19 Asia Cup title.
But Mhatre and Co. would want to script a strong comeback in the U19 World Cup 2026, starting on January 15 in Zimbabwe and Namibia. Earlier, India U19 secured a series whitewash on Australian soil under his leadership, comprising three Youth ODIs and two red-ball fixtures. They had also registered a 2-3 YODI series victory and drew two Youth Tests in England.
Notably, before heading into the World Cup, the team will take on South Africa U19 for three 50-over matches, starting on January 3. But as Mhatre is yet to recover from his injury, star opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi will don the skipper’s hat for the series against the Proteas.
Ayush Mhatre (C), R.S. Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Deepesh Devendran, Mohamed Enaan, Aaron George, Abhigyan Kundu, Kishan Kumar Singh, Vihaan Malhotra, Udhav Mohan, Henil Patel, Khilan Patel, Harvansh Singh, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Vedant Trivedi.
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