Ayush Mhatre might still be in his teens, but the 17-year-old has already made a mark in the IPL with his confident strokeplay and calm temperament under pressure. Signed up as the replacement player for Ruturaj Gaikwad, the youngster has made most of his opportunities and his 48-ball 94 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru was the latest example. While Mhatre’s innings didn’t result in a CSK win, it turned plenty of heads, including head coach Stephen Fleming’s, who lauded the youngster’s composure and attitude. “He’s got talent. He’s got hand-eye coordination. He’s got a beautiful, silky swing. He’s aggressive. Everything that we like about a modern-day T20 player. But, to me, it’s the temperament and being able to execute in a trial and then on the big stage. That’s what I’m most impressed with," Fleming said. In a season where CSK have struggled for consistency, Mhatre has emerged as a rare positive. The 17-year-old smashed 32 on his debut against MI and went on to score 30 against SRH. His 94 against RCB made him the third-youngest half-centurion in IPL history. Also READ: IPL 2025: RCB vs CSK Clash Sparks Frenzy on Twitter ‘Hopefully, it’s the start of a long relationship’: Fleming For Fleming, what stood out was not just Mhatre’s range of strokes, but how seamlessly he blended into the CSK setup, despite being with the squad for just over a month. “We have a pretty relaxed camp, which has always been our style. He has some teammates [from Mumbai] on the side. [Shivam] Dube, is one that has seen a fair bit of him. Again, it comes back to his maturity. He fitted in seamlessly. It’s often not what the team around him does, but it’s just the way that he behaves.” He also added that the team is comfortable with the youngster and is hopeful that he will continue playing for CSK. “He was very comfortable right from day one and the team was very comfortable with him. Hopefully, it’s the start of a long relationship,” said Fleming. With two wins from 11 matches, CSK are at the bottom of the table and are already out of the playoff race with three more matches to go.