CSK Celebrate Starboy Ayush Mhatre’s Felicitation by Bollywood Icon Shah Rukh Khan

Alongside CSK's Ayush Mhatre, U-19 WC champions Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra, and Kanishk Chouhan are also playing in IPL 2026.

CSK Celebrate Starboy Ayush Mhatre’s Felicitation by Bollywood Icon Shah Rukh Khan

Ayush Mhatre was felicitated by Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and Maharashtra's CM Devendra Fadnavis. (via YouTube)

In Short
  • Ayush Mhatre was honored by Shah Rukh Khan at a special event in Mumbai after leading India to victory in the U-19 World Cup.
  • Chennai Super Kings celebrated Mhatre's achievement on social media and retained him for IPL 2026 following his impressive performance last season.
  • CSK aims to improve its performance in IPL 2026 with a revamped squad and young players like Mhatre expected to play key roles.

India U-19 captain Ayush Mhatre was felicitated by Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, during a special event in Mumbai. Chennai Super Kings marked this emphatic moment by sharing a tribute on social media, celebrating both the young sportsman and the eminent actor.

Ayush Mhatre etched his name in history books by becoming the sixth Indian U-19 World Cup-winning captain, behind Mohammed Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand, Prithvi Shaw, and Yash Dhull. His team went undefeated to secure the 2026 trophy, decisively beating England in the final by a margin of 100 runs. While Mhatre contributed with 53 runs and a wicket in the final, it was Vaibhav Suryavanshi who stole headlines with a blistering 175 runs off 80 balls. 

Returning to India, Mhatre was greeted with high-profile celebrations and honors. He received a hero’s welcome in his hometown of Virar, and he was driven through the streets to great public fanfare. He was then honored by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, which was surely a ‘dream come true’ for the U-19 star. Tendulkar presented Mhatre with a signed Test jersey that had a personalized message on it. 

At ABP’s 2026 ‘Ideas of India’ Summit in Mumbai, Mhatre shared the stage with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and Maharashtra’s chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. After presenting awards to Paralympic Olympians Praveen Kumar and Avani Lekhara, Khan proceeded to honor the Indian U-19 WC-winning captain. The actor warmly hugged Mhatre before presenting him with a shawl. Khan also recognized Mhatre’s teammates, Vihaan Malhotra and Abhigyan Kundu, lauding their courage and enthusiasm.

A video of this short interaction went viral on social media, with Chennai Super Kings’ also sharing it with an interesting caption. It read, “Woke up to the King (a nickname for the Bollywood icon) felicitating our Super King,” to celebrate the event.

In a month, Mhatre will turn up to play for the Men in Yellow in IPL 2026. The 18-year-old had scored 240 runs in the seven IPL matches last summer, after being roped in as Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury replacement. 

The right-hander’s impressive showing last summer prompted CSK to retain him. Mhatre’s form in senior T20s has also been a talking point, where he scored 325 runs in just six SMAT appearances at an average of 108.33 last year. 

Ayush Mhatre, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson and others to lead the line in CSK’s likely IPL 2026 XI

Aiming to make a strong comeback after earning the ‘Wooden Spoon’ in IPL 2025, the Chennai Super Kings is a franchise to look out for in 2026. CSK will be aiming to turn its fortunes around after two consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance. 

Ayush Mhatre, MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad CSK
Young players like Ayush Mhatre will be leading the line for CSK, with MS Dhoni as a guiding figure. (via NDTV Sports)

Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to return to the helm, after the 29-year-old spent the 2025 season on the sidelines due to an untimely injury. CSK was one of the teams that revamped its squad at the 2026 IPL auction, with several major acquisitions like Prashant Veer, Kartik Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Matt Henry and Rahul Chahar. With the baton having seemingly shifted, it remains to be seen how CSK fare this summer. 

Coming to the probable playing XI, Ayush Mhatre is expected to open the innings. He might be joined by skipper Gaikwad or Sanju Samson, who has been traded in from RR. Dewald Brevis will follow at no.4, and Kartik Sharma at no.5. Shivam Dube is expected to play at no.6, followed by Prashant Veer at no. 7, who is being seen as a like-for-like replacement for Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni at no.8. 

Given the impact-player rule, CSK will have four bowling options in hand. The team might proceed with a spinner, Noor Ahmed, and three pacers, Nathan Ellis, Matt Henry and Khaleel Ahmed, or opt for Anshul Kamboj, Akeal Hosein, Rahul Chahar and Gurjapneet Singh as well. 

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