Chennai Super Kings’ haven’t had an ideal run in IPL 2025, managing only two wins in 11 matches. The five-time champions suffered their ninth loss of the season against Royal Challengers Bengaluru by two runs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Saturday.

Despite the loss, there was light at the end of the tunnel for CSK as youngster Ayush Mhatre smashed 94 runs off just 48 balls with the help of nine fours and five sixes. This was the maiden IPL fifty for the 17-year-old from Mumbai and Fleming sees a bright future ahead for the young lad.

“It’s early days, but we have been very impressed with one of his skills, right from when he trialled and was with us in the early part of the season… but more his temperament, really,” Fleming said. “It’s one thing to have a lot of shots, but to be able to execute that game plan on a big stage in front of some of the biggest players in the world is what I admire. I think we have enjoyed a lot of the shot play from young players in this tournament and we’re delighted that we’ve got one ourselves, so yes, excited about the future for him.”

The former New Zealand captain said he has been impressed with Mhatre’s talent but more importantly feels the youngster has the right temperament to find more success at the top level.

“It’s sometimes hard to explain, but there’s just a quality around what he was doing,” Fleming said of Mhatre. “But his composure was something that impressed me. He’s got talent, he’s got hand-eye coordination, he’s got a beautiful silky swing. He’s aggressive, everything that we like about a modern-day T20 player. But to me it’s the temperament and being able to execute in a trial and then on the big stage. So that’s what I’m most impressed with.”

“We have a pretty relaxed camp, which has always been our style. He has some teammates on the side… [Shivam] Dube is one who has seen a fair bit of him. Again, it comes back to his maturity. He fitted in seamlessly. It’s often not what the team around him does, but it’s just the way that he behaves. He was very comfortable right from day one. The team was very comfortable with him. Hopefully, it’s the start of a long relationship.”

A few days ago, Rajasthan Royals’ opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who is only 14-years-old, smashed 101 runs off just 38 balls against Gujarat Titans to stun the cricketing world. Similarly, Mhatre took 26 runs against veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar in a single over on Saturday.

“It’s amazing, really. It’s extraordinary to watch that fearless approach. But you’ve got to have skills as well, and to have the skills that these young players have – and to be able to execute them against some of the best bowlers in the world, is quite remarkable. It doesn’t matter whether you’re 14, 18, 21. The innings that we’ve seen be played, particularly by these two youngsters, is just top class. It shows maturity beyond their years. But it shows a skill set that is quite daunting.

“I worry a little bit about the under-19 opposition that’ll come up against two pretty handy openers when the [U-19] World Cup comes around,” Fleming remarked.

Chennai Super Kings will next take on Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday.