2 min readUpdated: Apr 23, 2026 04:28 PM ISTAkash Madhwal celebrates after taking a wicket for Mumbai Indians. (AP)Chennai Super Kings on Thursday signed Akash Madhwal as the replacement of big hitting batter Ayush Mhatre who was ruled out of the season due to an injury. “Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed Akash Madhwal as a replacement for Ayush Mhatre, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to injury,” the IPL said in a release.Madhwal who joined the 5-time champions at a fee of Rs 30 lakh, has previously plied his trade for the Mumbai Indians in 2023 and 2024 before joining the Rajasthan Royals in 2025. He has played 17 IPL matches and has taken 23 wickets. The 32-year-old also has a five-wicket haul to his name, having recorded sensational figures of 5/5 in his debut season for MI in the Eliminator against Lucknow Super Giants.Earlier this week, Mhatre, CSK’s top scorer for this season was ruled out for the season due to a hamstring injury.While making the announcement on X, CSK have said that Mhatre’s injury will require a rehabilitation period of 6-12 weeks, which effectively ends his chances of playing a further role for Chennai. The 18-year-old had picked up the injury in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He seemed to pull his hamstring while taking a second run. He was tended to by the physio a few times in the game, and when he was eventually dismissed, he had to be helped off the field by Ramakrishna Ghosh and the physio Tommy Simsek.Also Read | CSK top-scorer Ayush Mhatre ruled out of remainder of IPL 2026Reports suggested that Mhatre underwent scans on Monday to determine the extent of his injury. Chennai are currently eighth in the IPL standings, with just two wins from their six games.Mhatre has scored two half-centuries, at a very impressive strike rate of 177.87 this season. This is despite him being asked to come at one drop, with Sanju Samson and CSK captain Ruturajh Gaikwad opening the innings for the Chennai Super Kings this season.Stay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Chennai Super KingsIPL 2026AdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Live BlogMI vs CSK LIVE Score IPL 2026, Playing 11 Updates: Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians will take on Ruturaj Gaikwad’s Chennai Super Kings5 seconds agoUpresults.upmsp.edu.in, UP Board Result 2026 LIVE Updates Out: Girls dominate the toppers list; how to check marks Digilocker, education.indianexpress.com1 minute agoUpmsp.edu.in, UP Board 10th 12th Result 2026 LIVE Updates: Result out at upmsp.edu.in, education.indianexpress.com2 minutes agoUpmsp.edu.in, UP Board Result 2026 LIVE: Girls outperformed boys again in Inter, High School; check result at digilocker, education.indianexpress.com3 minutes agoSabarimala Reference Hearing Day 8 Updates: A Hindu is a Hindu, can go to any temple, says Justice Nagarathna3 minutes ago