By Sruti Thakur | Updated: April 3, 2026 4:09 PM IST
6, 6, 6, 6, 6...Star player from Dhoni's CSK EXPLODES in IPL 2026 clash vs PBKS, let's dive into this photo collection to find out about the star player and his explosive knock.
The IPL 2026 match no.7 between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings is underway at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium.
Punjab Kings the won the toss and invited CSK to bat first. Ruturaj Gaikwad-led side suffered an early setback as Sanju Samson failed to deliver with the bat once again, departing at 7 of 7 balls.
Young sensation Ayush Mhatre etched his named in the Chepauk history book with an explosive knock against the Kings.
18-year-old Ayush Mhatre, who walked into bat at no.3, unleashing a carnage with his pull shots and towering sixes, scoring 73 off 43 balls, laced with six boundaries and five sixes.
Ayush Mhatre scored around 40 runs in boundaries as he surged to a rapid half-century lifting Chennai Super Kings to 94/1 inside nine overs
At just 18 years and 261 days, Ayush Mhatre became the youngest player to score an IPL fifty at Chepauk. This fifty also marks his second 50-plus score in the tournament before turning 19.
Ayush Mhatre now features twice in the list of highest individual IPL scores before turning 19, which includes his 73 against PBKS in 2026, which places him third on the chart. He is only behind Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who tops the list with a 101, and his own 94-run knock against RCB in 2025
Ayush, who led India to U-19 World Cup glory, made an immediate impact in his debut IPL season in 2025, amassing 240 runs at a strike rate close to 189.
Ayush Mhatre's impressive knock came to an end off Vijaykumar Vyshak's delivery. Attempting another sliced shot off a very full delivery, Mhatre ended up picking out Yuzvendra Chahal at short third, who held on to a sharp catch. Mhatre departed for a well-made 73 off 43 balls, as Punjab Kings pulled things back with successive wickets.