Ayush Mhatre, the 19-year-old Mumbai vice-captain and India U-19 World Cup-winning skipper, sustained a severe right hamstring tear on October 11 while running between wickets during Mumbai's Ranji Trophy season opener against Chandigarh. The Grade 4 injury forced the young Chennai Super Kings batter to undergo surgical intervention at Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai.

Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala performed the surgery on Thursday, October 22. According to a BCCI source, Mhatre has begun his recovery process and is expected to return to competitive cricket within a defined timeframe. As of Friday morning, October 23, he started walking with crutches as part of his initial rehabilitation.

"Ayush Mhatre underwent right hamstring surgery yesterday (on Thursday) at the Kokilaben Hospital in Mumbai, performed by Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala," a BCCI source was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

"He is currently recovering well and is expected to take approximately 2-3 months to make a full recovery and return to competitive cricket. The surgery was successful and as of Friday morning, Ayush even started walking slowly with crutches," the source added.

When did Mhatre sustain the injury?

The Mumbai batter was injured on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy campaign while running between wickets against Chandigarh on October 11. The Grade 4 hamstring tear in his right leg required immediate medical attention and subsequent surgical repair. Mhatre had opened the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal in that match before the injury forced him out of action.

What is the recovery timeline?

Grade 4 hamstring tears are among the most severe muscle injuries and typically require extended rehabilitation periods. The exact timeline for Mhatre's return to full competitive action will depend on how his rehabilitation progresses over the coming weeks and months. His recovery will be monitored closely by medical staff at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence.

History of hamstring problems for the young batter

This injury marks the second hamstring issue for Mhatre in recent months. He previously suffered a left hamstring injury while representing Chennai Super Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL in April, an incident that required three months of treatment and rehabilitation. Following Mhatre's absence from the Ranji Trophy, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Divyaansh Saxena opened the batting in Mumbai's subsequent fixture against Himachal Pradesh.