Ravichandran Ashwin has called for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to act swiftly in securing a loan for Vihaan Malhotra from the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after Ayush Mhatre was ruled out for the rest of IPL 2026 due to a hamstring injury. Mhatre, a key player for CSK, had scored 201 runs at a strike rate of 177.87 in six matches before sustaining the injury during a match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18. With multiple injuries affecting the team, including that of MS Dhoni, Ashwin highlighted the urgency of the situation, noting that the loan window closes after the seventh match. He also suggested considering India U-19 wicketkeeper-batter Abhigyan Kundu as a long-term option, even though Kundu was not part of the IPL auction pool. Ashwin pointed out that RCB, currently in a strong position in the points table, might see this as a commercial opportunity to loan a player to a rival team, allowing the player to gain experience while also benefiting RCB financially. The IPL loan rules allow players who have played 0 to 2 matches to be eligible for loans, with the loaned player remaining with the borrowing franchise for the rest of the season but unable to play against their parent team.