Thirty-two off 15 balls and 30 off 19. These are not sensational returns in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where strike-rates of 200-plus have ceased to surprise. People go at crazier rates these days and break all sorts of records when it comes to scoring at a rapid pace. In that sense, the scores mentioned are not special by any stretch of imagination.
But, hang on. When those runs come from the blade of an 18-year-old playing his first two games in the IPL, one has to take notice. More than the strike-rate, Ayush Mhatre has drawn attention because of the way he belted those runs. The youngster from Mumbai has made an instant impact playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), although the runs he made won’t help his team this season.
There is something about these young players coming up from different parts of the country. A 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed the first ball he faced in the IPL for a six a few days ago. Mhatre didn’t do that, but wasn’t far behind in terms of giving the ball a whack from the start. Having batted at No. 3 and No. 2 so far, he took no time to settle down and went for it straightaway. In fact, he made international stars like Rachin Ravindra look ordinary.
This is not only about batting technique or temperament at the senior level. These boys have those traits. Had they not shown certain qualities, they would not have made it to the world’s most lucrative cricket league at this age. What they have in addition is undying spirit and endless courage. Otherwise, one would not be throwing the kitchen sink at established bowlers from the first ball.
Players like Mhatre, who was impressive in the four-day and one-day formats for Mumbai in his debut season in 2024-25, believe in their methods and back themselves to pull things off. They practise extravagant shots at the nets for hours and by the time they are in the match, they know what they can do. Of course, they also have they the support of their coaches and seniors.
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As said earlier, scores in the 30s are usually nothing in the barrage of runs that the IPL is. However, the manner in which Mhatre made them prompts one to pause and think. This was no ordinary madness. The shots attempted were rehearsed and fine-tuned at the nets. The risk-reward ratio was calculated and then only they were executed. This is the hallmark of Mhatre’s generation. They know what they are doing. A lot of research and practice went in behind that.
These bright beginnings by teenagers are bound to inspire more youngsters to dream and do it in an unconventional manner. They will believe that they can do what their previous generation could not. Their thought patterns are uncluttered and different from their predecessors. Early to say, but this appears to be the IPL’s latest contribution to the evolution of cricket.
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