Ayush Mhatre was back for one innings after six months out, and a hamstring tear has him out for another month
Mumbai beat Chandigarh by an innings and 155 runs at the Wankhede, but their new vice-captain tore his right hamstring on the first day.
Oct 13, 2026
Ayush Mhatre had waited nearly six months to bat again, and he got one innings. The 19-year-old opener tore his right hamstring while running between the wickets for Mumbai against Chandigarh at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. It is a Grade 4 tear, and Cricinfo reports he could be out for a month.
Mumbai still won the match comfortably. Chandigarh, following on, were bowled out for 196 on Tuesday, the third day, and Mumbai took the Elite Group D game by an innings and 155 runs. Mhatre did not field in either Chandigarh innings.
Hurt on the second run
Mhatre was hobbling for some of his runs on the first day before Rohit Dhanda bowled him for 48, made off 82 balls. It was his first match since he hurt his left hamstring batting for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026, an injury that sent him to the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for three months of rehab.
“It happened while running [between the wickets],” said Siddhesh Lad, Mumbai’s captain, after the game. “He felt something in his hamstring while taking a second run.” Lad added that Mhatre, named Mumbai’s vice-captain for this season, had looked fine in simulation and club games before the opener, and that “it does not look like he would be available for the second or the third match.”
Lad also said Mhatre had done his rehab alongside him at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, travelling in from Virar to do it. “I think he looks very sad,” Lad said. “It happens, it’s part of the game. But we will try and motivate him.”
Deshpande’s hat-trick did the damage
The match itself was settled on the second day. Chandigarh, who had chosen to field, conceded 429 after Lad’s 86, Musheer Khan’s 65, Tanush Kotian’s 58 and an unbeaten 56 from Mohit Avasthi at number ten. Then they were bowled out for 78 in 19.1 overs.
Tushar Deshpande did most of it. He removed Arjun Azad, Shivam Bhambri and Dipender Kush with the third, fourth and fifth balls of the 11th over, a hat-trick that turned 25 for 1 into 25 for 4, and finished with 5 for 17. Avasthi took 3 for 9 from his six overs.
Azad made 62 in the follow-on and Bhambri 44, but the spinners finished it. Shams Mulani and Kotian took three wickets each, and Deshpande added two more for match figures of 7 for 54.
A new opening pair for Himachal
The timing is awkward for Mumbai. Their second-round game is away to Himachal Pradesh from October 18, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, who opened with Mhatre against Chandigarh, will be in New Zealand with India A. So neither of the openers from the first round will be available.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who sat out the opener because Jaiswal was available, is the obvious candidate to come in. Mumbai will also be without Shardul Thakur, last season’s captain, for a second straight round. He hurt a finger in training before the opener, and Mumbai hope to have him back for the third round.