There is a compelling contradiction to the latest teen prodigy from Mumbai—Ayush Mhatre. He has taken to the demands of modern-day cricket like a duck to water but eschews the influence of today’s obsessive use of social media.

Defying the ‘khadoos’ trait that has defined the grit and never-say-die attitude of cricketers from Mumbai, Mhatre has inculcated qualities typically against the grain of his geography.

“He is not into social media. He is not into it at all. All that he does in 24 hours is only practise and think about cricket… social media is definitely not for him,” Mhatre’s childhood coach Prashant Shetty tells Sports stars a day after the 18-year-old smashed a second successive ton in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in Lucknow.

Mhatre is surely not browsing through the highlight reels of his hundred against Andhra. That indulgence would be kept for another day, in tougher times, when Shetty thinks he needs a reminder of his precocious brilliance in the middle of a lean patch.

“I tell him to watch his videos of whenever he has done well. It gives you a good boost,” the coach explains.

For now, Mhatre, in scorching form, is far from having to revisit blasts from the past as he launches bowlers for sixes at will. Across his two centuries, against Vidarbha and Andhra, Mhatre hit a whopping 17 sixes and etched his name in record books as the youngest to score a hundred in each of the three formats.

While the world still comes to terms with Mhatre’s dizzying incandescence, Shetty had seen the spark in a nine-year-old at the MIG Cricket Academy in Mumbai.

Instincts take over at a young age for most cricketers, but trusting them and yourself at the highest level makes some stand out.

“He has a great temperament. Because, with a lot of cricketers that I have seen in the past, initially, they are always attacking; you back your natural instincts. But the moment you go to the international level or a higher level, you start doubting yourself. Temperament is the key, and he always backs himself to hit boundaries and sixes,” Shetty gushes.

“He is very clear in his mindset that if the ball is in his range, he is going to go after it. Sometimes, you have to take a little bit of time. As a coach, I have always believed that you have to start well. Sometimes, we do talk about the start, just to remind him.

“The six-hitting capability of Ayush Mhatre is something amazing. He has hit 17 sixes in the couple of hundreds he has scored. For an 18-year-old, that is huge. His range of hitting is also great. That is the reason why he is getting 100s in T20s. Because in the last three to four years, the number of balls that nowadays youngsters take is far lesser. If you have to score a hundred now, it is about 50 to 55 balls. You can probably stretch to 60, but not 70 or 75, like it used to be four or five years back,” Shetty, who has also coached the likes of Prithvi Shaw and Jemimah Rodrigues, says.

All-format player

Mhatre’s most recent T20 centuries came off 49 and 58 balls, well within the ‘permissible limit’ set by Shetty. During his six-hitting spree, Mhatre has followed the conventional wisdom of playing in the ‘V’, with most of his sixes flying over the bowler’s head on a ground with large square boundaries. He has steered clear of the cheeky scoops and ramps, largely because he trusts himself to clear the boundaries, a belief perhaps stemming from simulation training sessions with his coach.

“In the off-season, we do range hitting in June or July, because that is the only window we have in Mumbai when we cannot train outdoors. He has the belief that he can clear any ground. We try to simulate the field that probably the bowlers might have and what they might target this season. Now, they have seen enough of Ayush to try and be one step ahead of the game. They might bowl a middle stump or leg stump line to him. We keep the fielders accordingly, simulate the situation and practise. If the ball is in his range, he goes for it; even if he gets out in that fashion, it is not a problem at all.”

Though Mhatre has shot into the limelight recently owing to his T20 exploits, he has strong red-ball fundamentals that have helped him succeed. He made his senior cricket debut in the prestigious Irani Cup and recently top-scored with a 65 in an unofficial Test for India ‘A’, which included the likes of Rishabh Pant, Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar.

“He started well (in T20s) because he scored a couple of centuries in red-ball cricket. When you are doing well in red-ball cricket, it speaks volumes of your temperament; your basics are good. I think he is suited for all three formats. He knows how to score centuries in each of the formats,” Shetty said.

Freedom

From his coach to father and his Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Mhatre is blessed with an ecosystem that accepts failure as a byproduct of his natural game.

Making his T20 debut on the grand stage of the IPL for a five-time title-winning Chennai Super Kings side, Mhatre cracked a 15-ball 32 to take the tournament by storm this year. Shetty credits the franchise for giving Mhatre freedom.

“I think there was a clear plan and a clear message given to him that you can play your game. That is how he plays normally, and he has shown his mettle. There was nothing to lose for him and the team. In the first six overs, CSK would look for a batter who could give them a good start. If that can come from an 18-year-old, it is always better because they can invest in him if he shows potential. That is exactly what he did, and that is why he got retained also this season.”

Even as Mhatre’s stocks continue to rise and his journey takes him across the world, the heart of his success lies in a positive support system back home. His father quit his bank job two years ago to undertake the daily arduous three-hour journey from Virar to Mumbai and travelled with his son wherever he played.

“That is one parent that I have come across who is very positive. A lot of parents that I have interacted with are a little pushy and negative. There are a lot of negative emotions that go around the household. He is a man who always talks positive and shows great belief in Ayush. Even if he gets out on zero, it’s okay. That has had a huge impact,” Shetty says.

Leadership

With great potential comes greater responsibility, and Mhatre has been deservedly thrust into a captaincy role for the Under-19 Asia Cup later this month in Dubai, where he will lead India. Though Mhatre has led the national team on Under-19 tours to England and Australia earlier this year, Shetty believes leadership is an area the usually inexpressive Mhatre needs to work on.

“He is not someone who expresses a lot. But as a captain, he needs to express himself. You don’t have to be loud or talk every time, but you have to make a relevant point. We have also asked him to contribute during Mumbai’s senior team meetings. That is when you can build your confidence, because you have all India players around you. If you can make a point there, it will help when you are the leader of a junior team.”

Having been part of a dressing room that includes the hallowed aura of former India captain MS Dhoni, Shetty sees a lot of improvement in Mhatre’s communication.

“He has gotten better after the stint with CSK. With Dhoni as your captain, you cannot ask for anyone better than him. He has learnt a lot about being a leader. What to say and what not to say is also important. What not to say is more important than what to say these days.”

For now, with four more matches left in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy group stage and a century streak to maintain, the reserved and unassuming Mhatre will let the bat do the talking. Therein lies yet another dichotomy.