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Mumbai vice-captain Ayush Mhatre has opened up on one of the biggest lessons that he learnt from legendary MS Dhoni. Ayush Mhatre opened up on how MS Dhoni has influenced the way he handles pressure ahead of the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season.
Mhatre has picked up an important lesson from Dhoni during his time with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The young batter has seen the former Indian captain closely and feels his calm nature has taught him a lot about handling pressure. Earlier, Yashasvi Jaiswal takes wicketkeeping seriously with future in mind.
MS Dhoni’s calmness leaves mark on Ayush Mhatre’s leadership style
Ayush Mhatre said that the biggest lesson that he learnt from MS Dhoni is to never let anger control your decisions. Having seen how Dhoni handles pressure situations with calmness, he feels this mindset can help a player think clearly under pressure.
Mhatre has started following the same approach in his own game and is now trying to bring the same calmness into his role as the vice-captain with Mumbai. He feels anger may stay for only a few minutes, but a decision made in that moment can go wrong.
Ayush Mhatre said at the pre-season press conference, as quoted by Cricbuzz/PTI, "We have always seen how MS Dhoni remains calm, and one of the things I have learnt from him is that anger may last for five minutes, but decisions taken in anger can often be wrong. Once you calm down, you can think better. I have tried to follow that approach, stay composed on the field and make better decisions for myself and the team.”
Ayush Mhatre ready for new challenge as Mumbai Vice-Captain
Meanwhile, Mhatre is entering the 2026-27 Ranji Trophy season with fresh confidence and a bigger responsibility. Becoming Mumbai’s vice-captain is a proud moment for the young batter, and he is eager to play his part in the team’s push for another title.
Mhatre said, “It's a really good opportunity for me. Vice-captaining the Mumbai team is a really tough job and also a proud moment for me. I will try my best to give my 100% for the team.” Amid this, Suryakumar Yadav takes club cricket route after Ranji Trophy omission by MCA.
Ayush Mhatre makes his Red-Ball priority crystal clear
Well, Mhatre feels batting in the IPL can be easier because the wickets are usually good and the ball comes nicely onto the bat. However, he believes that the red-ball cricket is equally important, and he is aiming to score as many runs for the Mumbai team in the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2026-27.
The young CSK batter also revealed that he worked on a few small areas of his batting rather than making major changes. Mhatre worked mainly on staying patient, improving his shot selection and keeping his mind calm while deciding which balls to attack.
He added, “In the IPL, we get very good wickets where the ball comes nicely onto the bat. But red-ball cricket is very important, and I really enjoy playing it. My main focus is to play well and score runs for Mumbai. I haven't made any big changes. There were some small changes in my batting technique. I worked on my mind, being patient and choosing the right ball.”
