IPL 2026: Ayush Mhatre's 73 in vain as CSK lose to PBKS in Chepauk

Chennai Super Kings lost to Punjab Kings despite Ayush Mhatre's 73-run knock. Sunil Gavaskar hailed the youngster as a future No. 3 batter and also highlighted CSK's bowling as a major concern for the rest of the IPL 2026 season.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their second defeat of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 when they failed to defend a big total of 209 runs against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk on Friday, but youngster Ayush Mhatre's big knock was a positive for them.

The 18-year-old batter played a knock of 73 runs off just 43 balls, which helped CSK post a 200-plus total while batting first. He hit six fours and five sixes while hitting his first half-century of the season.

Gavaskar on Mhatre's 'Gen Next' mindset

Coming to bat in the power play, Mhatre played some beautiful shots, and the former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes the batting position at number three is best suited for the youngster. Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar talked about Mhatre's best-suited batting position and the mindset of the fearless prodigies. "I believe number 3 is a good position for Ayush Mhatre. He has batted lower down the order in the Under-19 setup, but three could suit him well. He was dismissed first ball in the previous game, but showed no signs of being affected by it. That's the beauty of the 'Gen Next' mindset; they don't dwell too much on the past and focus on the present. It's a fantastic attitude," said Gavaskar.

Asked to bat first, CSK set a 210-run target for the last year's finalists thanks to Mhatre's 73-run knock and crucial contributions from Shivam Dube (45 not out) and Sarfaraz Khan (32 off 12 balls). Punjab Kings chased down the target with eight balls and five wickets to spare, thanks to valuable contributions from the top-order and captain Shreyas Iyer.

CSK's Bowling a 'Big Concern'

Gavaskar also reflected on CSK's struggles in the bowling department. The legend said, "From what we've seen so far, CSK's biggest concern for the rest of the tournament will be their bowling. It means they may have to consistently score around 225-230 to give their bowlers a chance."

"Most teams now have significant batting depth, like we saw with Punjab Kings, where Marcus Stoinis came in at No. 7 and struck the ball cleanly with proper cricketing shots. With many sides batting deep, Chennai will need to get their bowling in order," he concluded. (ANI)

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