IPL 2026: CSK sign Akash Madhwal as replacement for injured Mhatre

Mumbai, April 23 Five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Akash Madhwal as a replacement for Ayush Mhatre, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury, for a fee of Rs. 30 Lakh.

Having served as a net bowler for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2021, Madhwal, a right-arm fast bowler, made his debut for the Mumbai Indians in 2023, wherein he took a five-wicket haul with impressive figures of 5/5 in his debut season for MI in the crucial IPL 2023 Eliminator against the Lucknow Super Giants.

However, his performance declined in the 2024 season, where he took only five wickets in five matches. In the previous edition, he played for Rajasthan Royals, claiming four wickets in four games. Overall, he has 23 wickets from 17 matches in the tournament but went unsold at the IPL 2026 auction.

Madhwal, a 32-year-old uncapped Indian right-arm medium-fast bowler from Roorkee, was named captain of Uttarakhand for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy ahead of the 2022-23 domestic season, highlighting his rising prominence in the circuit.

Earlier reports stated that Madhwal took part in CSK trials and was a strong contender to replace Khaleel Ahmed, who missed the tournament due to a quadriceps injury. The team faced three straight losses early on but recovered with consecutive wins. Although he took only two wickets in five matches, his overall performance was solid, with an economy rate of 8.67 so far.

Chennai played their first match without Khaleel against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), conceding 194 runs in 20 overs, and then lost the game. Meanwhile, Mhatre, India’s U19 World Cup-winning captain, began the season strongly for CSK, scoring two fifties in six matches before suffering a left hamstring injury while batting in their recent game against SRH.

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