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The Chennai Super Kings have summoned the Mumbai all-rounder Ayush Vartak for a trial season on Tuesday. The CSK is already battling with multiple injuries. Earlier, they lost Khaleel Ahmed for a quadriceps injury, and then Ayush Mhatre got ruled out due to a left hamstring tear. 

In the last match, they played Urvil Patel in place of Mhatre but got ducked. For the last few days, CSK has is undergoing several trials to pick a replacement player for the team. And in such a position, CSK confirmed to the Times of India that they called Vartak for a mid-season trial. A source close to the proceedings told TOI,

"Yes, Ayush has been called up for trials on Tuesday. He will reach Chennai on Monday night."

Born in Mumbai's Basal, Vartak has not yet been a part of the senior Mumbai team. The 21-year-old led Mumbai U-23 in the Col CK Naydu Trophy last season. However, he served as a vice captain in the 2024-25 season, where he scored 770 runs in just 7 matches.

In the Men's State A Trophy 2025, he amassed 363 runs in six innings at an average of 72.60 and a strike rate of 169.62. He finished as the tournament's second-highest six-hitter in India with 26 maximums. He famously hammered an unbeaten 215* off just 110 balls during the Mangrol CC U-19 tournament

Recently, Ayush has won the award of MCA's U-23 Outstanding Performance Award for the 2024 season.

MS Dhoni has missed the first eight matches of IPL 2026 due to a recurring calf injury, with his comeback timeline still unclear. Initially ruled out for two weeks, Dhoni suffered a setback after tweaking the same calf during a warm-up, delaying recovery.

Head coach Stephen Fleming admitted the early push worsened the issue. Though Dhoni has resumed light net sessions, he has avoided intense drills to prevent further damage. In his absence, Sanju Samson has taken over wicketkeeping for Chennai Super Kings, who sit sixth with three wins in eight matches this season.