CSK opener Ayush Mhatre smashed his maiden T20 century in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match against Vidarbha on Friday. This innings came just hours after he was appointed as the captain of the Indian U-19 side for the upcoming Asia Cup Under-19 tournament.
Mhatre scores maiden T20 hundred
Mhatre grabbed everyone’s attention with his fierce approach in last year’s IPL, but with this knock, he has proved that last season wasn’t a one-off. This century comes after a dry run in white-ball cricket, especially during the Australia tour, where he clearly struggled. Now, it finally looks like he has broken through that phase.
Mhatre opened the innings with Ajinkya Rahane, who played a crucial role in their previous win against Railways. However, Rahane fell early, and a couple of wickets followed, putting the responsibility squarely on the CSK opener to take charge.
CSK’s youngster plays vital knock in big run chase
What followed next was absolute carnage. The 18-year-old smashed 8 fours and 8 sixes in his 53-ball 110*, ensuring Mumbai chased the target comfortably. Alongside his CSK teammate Shivam Dube, he guided the team to victory with 7 wickets in hand and 13 balls remaining.
Mhatre also stitched together two crucial partnerships. The first came with Surya Kumar Yadav, adding 88 runs in 59 balls for the third wicket. Then, he joined hands with Dube, who scored 39 runs in an 85-run stand that pushed them towards an emphatic finish.
In the first innings, Vidarbha’s openers Taide and Mokhade both scored in the 60s, giving their team a strong start. But Shivam Dube struck at the right moments, breaking the backbone of their middle order and denying them what once looked like a 200+ total. Vidarbha eventually managed 192/9 in 20 overs.
With this win, Mumbai sit second in the Group A table, tied on points with Andhra Pradesh and behind only on NRR. The defending champions will undoubtedly be targeting back-to-back titles.
Mhatre: The Youngest Centurion Across Formats
This SMAT hundred adds to an even bigger milestone in his young career. Earlier this year, Ayush Mhatre became the Youngest Centurion in men’s domestic cricket across all formats, breaking a 19-year-old record previously held by Rohit Sharma. His blistering List A century announced him as one of India’s brightest upcoming batters — and today’s T20 hundred reinforces that rise.
