"MS and I were very impressed with the way Ayush held himself": Stephen Fleming

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming lavished praise on 17-year-old Mumbai-based batter Ayush Mhatre, who made an impressive 15-ball 32  on IPL debut vs Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede on Sunday.

CSK, led by captain MS Dhoni, lost by nine wickets and are struggling with just two wins from eight games in IPL-18. But, the introduction of young batter Mhatre is a big positive for the five-time champions. Fleming revealed how he, along with Dhoni, decided to pick to replace injured skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.

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Stephen Fleming. Pic/PTI

“We’ve had a few players through our training, and he [Mhatre] stood out. It’s hard to get a true gauge of a player when you’re in the nets, but from a skill set [perspective], he was impressive and  he came across as a composed young man, which is often just as important. Both MS and I were very impressed with the way Ayush held himself together for the selection trial, and then, when the opportunity came, we’ve obviously got a view to the future, and he was a name that was pretty easy to pick,” Fleming revealed at the post-match press conference on Sunday.