Ayush Mhatre, the rising star batsman. Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) is unlike any other part of Mumbai. A city where poverty and wealth go hand in hand, BKC is a commercial hub with all the amenities, offices of big companies, and five-star hotels. In this very complex, a 17-year-old batsman was grabbing everyone’s attention on Friday.
Ayush Mhatre has a look of innocence on his face. When he scored a century in his third first-class match, it was a sight to see him take off his helmet and receive greetings from the dressing room.
Mumbai’s Rising Batsman Ayush Mhatre
Mumbai has always produced talented young players and Mhatre is the latest in a line of talented young players. When Sarfraz Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal were on national duty, 17-year-old Mushir got an opportunity to debut. And now that Mushir is not part of the first round due to being a victim of a car accident, another 17-year-old batsman has taken his place.
Mhatre’s story of struggle is no different from that of an average Mumbaikar. To fulfill his cricket dreams, he had to travel up to 80 km daily from Virar (outskirts of Mumbai) to Churchgate (located near Wankhede Stadium). During this journey of struggle, Mhatre got full support from his maternal grandfather and uncle.
Mhatre started playing cricket for the first time when he was five years old. But when he was 15, he realized that he could take his cricket to the professional level. His personal highest score is 254 not out of which he made in a private tournament in Mumbai. In December 2023, he was selected in the Mumbai squad for the CK Nayudu Under 23 tournament. Along with this, he was also named in the MCA Under 19 team in 2023-24.
Earlier this season, Mhatre, who is studying in class 12, had an inkling that the call from Mumbai was about to come. He was asked to participate in a KSCA red ball tournament before the start of the new season of Ranji, where he scored 173 against Gujarat and 52 against Andhra.
Making of Ayush Mhatre by Prashan Shetty
He practiced with Prashant Shetty with plastic balls on tiles to deal with the challenge of fast bowling in first-class cricket. Shetty has coached Prithvi Shaw and Jemimah Rodrigues. When Mhatre was called up to the Mumbai team against the Rest of India, he was fully prepared for the opportunity.
On Friday, he said, “I was surprised but not under pressure. I was very excited.”
In the Irani Cup, he scored 19 and 14 runs. However, in the Ranji Trophy opener, Mhatre hit his maiden first-class half-century, scoring 52 against Baroda, on a pitch where only one other batsman from his side could reach 30.
Batting on his home ground after Maharashtra were bowled out for 126 on Friday, Mhatre played the new ball with Shaw and Hardik Tamore falling cheaply and forged useful partnerships with his captain Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer to consolidate the score and take it past 200.
He is known for his trademark pull and timing, like his Mumbai senior Rohit Sharma. Mhatre pulled a short ball onto a banked off-length delivery and the Mumbai dressing room rose to applaud. He seemed to move his feet both forward and backward with ease. His straight-bat drives and confident cuts show as much. There was hardly any trouble when he was at the crease, his strike rate hovering around 75 as he reached his half-century off 63 balls and his century off 133 balls. 80 of his 127 runs were scored on the off side.
“The first century is always special. I was confident which helped me play this innings,” he said at the end of the day’s play.
Mhatre said Rahane coached him with a 99-run stand for the third wicket by setting “small targets of five runs at a time“. Earlier, he batted “calmly” in an unbroken 97-run partnership with Iyer as the fielders were posted outside. The sun made the pitch more batting-friendly. Even at this early stage of his career, he understands that even though he likes to attack, he can’t get carried away.
“I have to play with balance, that’s what the team expects from me,” he said.
Ayush Mhatre has had a blazing start, living up to the promise he showed in age-group cricket, and now he would want to stay true to his character of a promising Mumbai batsman and really make it big.
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