Who Is Ayush Mhatre? Young Batter Of CSK, Battled With Depression, His Dad Sacrificed Job For Him

Young batting sensation, Ayush Mhatre, is hogging the limelight after he revealed an unforgettable moment with his idol, Rohit Sharma. For the unversed, Ayush made his IPL debut in 2025 for Chennai Super Kings against Mumbai Indians. When the young batter came out to bat at number 3 for CSK in a 2025 IPL match against MI, cricket fans became curious to know more about him.

Ayush scored 62 runs in the ongoing match of CSK against Punjab Kings. Cricket fans are fully crazy about the 18-year-old talented batter. But do you know, the young batter battled depression in 2024? Yes, you read it right. Over the years, Ayush has faced his fair share of struggles, including depression and fitness. If you are interested in knowing more about him, we’ve got you covered.

Meet the talented young batter, Ayush Mhatre

Ayush Mhatre was born on July 16, 2007. At the age of 5, he started playing cricket. He completed his schooling at St. Joseph. When he was 15 years old, Ayush thought about professional cricket. He travelled nearly 80 kilometres one way by train from Virar (outside Mumbai) to Churchgate (next to Wankhede Stadium) to practise cricket.  At the age of 17, Ayush made his first-class debut for Mumbai in the 2024-25 Irani Cup.

Ayush Mhatre’s dad sacrificed his banking job to support him

Ayush hails from a middle-class household based in Virar. His dad worked as a banker. At the same time, he also accompanied Ayush to matches. In 2024, he left his banking job to devote more time to Ayush. In an interview with TOI, Ayush’s coach, Prashant Shetty, opened up about the young batter’s dad’s contribution to his son’s profession. Prashant was quoted as saying:

“Ayush’s family is a middle-class household based in Virar. His father, Yogesh, would unfailingly accompany him for matches while at the same time, juggle his responsibilities as a banker. Travelling for nearly six hours with a heavy kit bag daily for playing matches in Mumbai can be very exhausting and difficult. However, Yogesh sir has always been an extremely positive person who’s never uttered a single word of criticism for his son. He went to the extent of leaving his job as a banker a year back to devote more time to his son, which is definitely a big sacrifice considering their family isn’t wealthy.”

Ayush Mhatre sank into depression after facing rejection

In 2024, Ayush was not picked among the top 30 National Cricket Academy players as he failed to perform in the inter-camp matches. This rejection left Ayush depressed. However, it was his coach, Prashant Shetty, who helped him fight depression. In a 2025 interview with TOI, Prashant shared that he had motivated Ayush by setting a target of 300 runs in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy. He mentioned that the 18-year-old batter worked very hard during that phase. Ayush also travelled to different parts of Mumbai for matches and underwent two practice sessions a day. Prashant was quoted as saying:

“Ayush wasn’t picked among the top-30 NCA players last year because he failed to perform in the inter-camp matches. He was in a very depressed sort of mentality at that point. We started off by working on his technique, resulting in a confidence boost. He never looked back after getting a call-up for a local tournament called KACA, scoring runs freely. Being dropped also made Ayush even hungrier to score. A major factor which helped him bounce back in that period of struggle was his mental toughness, work ethic and belief in his capabilities.”

Ayush Mhatre’s fitness struggles

In the same interview, Ayush’s coach, Prashant, opened up about the young batter’s fitness struggles. Prashant shared that he told Ayush that if he wanted to play for India, he needed to improve his diet and fitness more than anything. He added that Ayush wants to be an all-rounder. Prashant was quoted as saying:

“I told him, ‘If you want to play for India, you need to improve your diet and fitness more than anything’. If you compare his current fitness levels with what he looked like back in 2019/20, there is a huge difference. We had a very conscious conversation where I put my foot down and frankly said, ‘This won’t work. You have to change’. Ayush used to run and practice fielding on the beach. We started working on his bowling as well. Ayush wants to become an all-rounder. For achieving success, you have to sacrifice, isn’t it?”

What are your thoughts on Ayush Mhatre’s struggles? Let us know.

Also Read: Inside Tom Jones’ Marriage With Melinda, His Childhood Sweetheart, Had Affairs With Over 250 Women