India Under-19 captain Ayush Mhatre revealed his favorite cricketer, whom he has been following since his childhood days. Mhatre named former India captain Rohit Sharma as his favorite cricketer through an official video shared by the ‘ICC Hindi Official’ Instagram profile on January 23.
Cricket fans, who have been monitoring the growth and game of Ayush Mhatre, already know that Mhatre considers Rohit Sharma as his idol. In the past, he got the opportunity to meet him in person. Now, through the video, the emerging batter revealed that whenever he needed help, he used to call the legendary cricketer without any hesitation.
Ayush Mhatre talked about his close bond with Rohit Sharma
Through the video, the top-order batsman explains how strong the bond is between him and Rohit Sharma. Mhatre informed that whenever he seeks help, he calls Rohit Sharma, and Sharma, 38, talks with him politely, making no hurry. The off-the-field gesture of the former Team India captain has touched Mhatre’s heart deeply.
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“Rohit Sharma is my favorite cricketer because I have been watching his batting since my childhood. The way he behaves, both on and off the field, really stands out. Whenever I go to talk to him, he speaks very calmly and takes his time explaining things to me. He explains everything patiently and never rushes through it. And he even says that I can call him any time without hesitation.
“As for his batting, everyone already knows how special it is. His timing and the natural flow in his batting are exceptional, and that’s why I’ve been following and learning from his batting style ever since I was a kid,” Mhatre, the Under-19 captain of team India, said in his Instagram video.
Ayush Mhatre is considered one of the best emerging talents in Indian cricket
Like Rohit, Ayush is also from Mumbai and is considered one of the most exciting emerging talents. With an attacking mindset, Mhatre left a positive impression for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during the IPL 2025 season. The 18-year-old was unsold during the auction, but CSK had to trust him because of injury concerns during the middle of the IPL 2025 season.
The young batter proved that the CSK team management took the correct call by signing him for the franchise tournament. His mindset and daring attitude in the middle went perfectly along with the standards of the Indian Premier League. In the upcoming season too, he will feature for the 5-time IPL-winning team.
U-19 team India in the ongoing World Cup under Mhatre’s captaincy
As of now, the India Under-19 team, under the leadership of Ayush Mhatre, is in Zimbabwe for the ongoing U-19 World Cup 2026. Tomorrow, the Under-19 team of India is all set to face New Zealand at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. India is in Group B with New Zealand, Bangladesh, and the youth team of the USA. After playing a couple of matches, the Boys in Blue remain unbeaten.
They are currently the table toppers with 4 points. But the off-form of Ayush Mhatre caused a little bit of worry for the team. Mhatre himself will be trying to bounce back as soon as possible to benefit the team in the most possible way.
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