With Chennai Super Kings' IPL 2025 playoffs hopes all but over, the five-time champions are shifting their focus to the future. CSK have handed opportunities to youngsters like 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre, South African talent Dewald Brevis, and India U-19 product Shaik Rasheed in recent games. Batting coach Michael Hussey, speaking ahead of CSK’s clash against Punjab Kings, said the team is now keen on improving its scouting system and talent-nurturing pipeline. "I think it's one area that we've really identified that we want to improve on is that talent identification side of things," Hussey said. He revealed that CSK have trialled players at different times during the season to assess their potential better before the auction. “So we have had different players come in and train with us at various stages, almost on trial… But to be able to actually watch them in the flesh, it does give you a bit more to go on,” he added. Notably, Mhatre impressed the coaching staff during a mid-season trial at Chepauk. The Mumbai batter has since played two games, while Shaik Rasheed, who has been part of the setup for a couple of seasons, is finally getting a run. Brevis, who turned 22 just before the PBKS match, smashed 42 off 25 against SRH, showing signs of his potential. Also READ: Virat Kohli’s brother fires back at Sanjay Manjrekar after Strike Rate dig goes viral 'We’ll keep working with them through the year': Hussey Hussey acknowledged that with CSK almost out of playoff contention, the remaining matches offer a valuable chance to test young talent under pressure. "If we can play some practice games, see them under pressure, we can make more informed decisions," he said. He praised the franchise’s high-performance centre near Chennai and suggested it could become central to CSK’s long-term development model. Even though some of the youngsters have had mixed returns, Rasheed began with 27 before bagging a first-ball duck in his last outing, Hussey stressed the importance of backing them and monitoring their growth beyond just this IPL season. "We'll keep a close eye on them when they're playing their domestic stuff… It's not just working with them for these two-and-a-half months," he said. Hussey also praised Shaik Rasheed, calling him a beautiful player. He also believes that the youngster has the potential to score runs. "He's a beautiful player… He'll want to get more runs towards the back end, but he's certainly got the skill and the talent to do it." CSK will return to action on Wednesday, where they will take on Punjab Kings at Chepauk Stadium. The five-time champions are currently at the bottom of the points table with two wins from nine matches. Meanwhile, PBKS have won five out of their nine matches and are in the fifth spot.