The train from Virar to Churchgate is a lifeline for Mumbai’s working class. But for a 17-year-old boy named Ayush Mhatre, it’s been a tunnel to the big stage.

When Chennai Super Kings signed the teenage Mumbai opener as a replacement for their injured captain Ruturaj Gaikwad, there wasn’t the usual fanfare that follows big IPL signings. No grand unveilings, no dramatic hype videos.

In the heat of an IPL season and the void left by Gaikwad’s exit, CSK needed a batter. After two weeks of net sessions, they picked a boy who’d been waking up at 4:15am, boarding overcrowded trains, and dodging curveballs hurled at him.

He hails from Virar, a Mumbai suburb that’s 46km away from the city’s cricketing hubs. As a child, he shuttled daily to the famed maidans of south Mumbai, first guided by his grandfather Laxmikant Naik, a retired railway employee who acted as early mentor.

“In the morning, I used to go for practice in Matunga, attend school, and then go to Churchgate for another practice,” Ayush told The Indian Express last year.

At home, things weren’t easy. His father, Yogesh, once lost his job but never let that reality shadow Ayush’s dream.

“They never made me realise there’s a financial problem at home,” Ayush said. Even today, Yogesh boards the local with him not just as moral support, but as a buffer from life’s unnecessary distractions.

“If any verbal fight happens with someone, he will handle it so that I don’t take any negativity when I’m going to bat,” Ayush added.

In Mumbai’s domestic circles, Mhatre’s reputation has grown steadily. Two centuries and a half-century in nine first-class games, and an imposing 181 against Nagaland in List A cricket have already put selectors on alert.

His 148 versus Saurashtra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was textbook knock on a typical subcontinental pitch: start slow, dig deep, finish big.

He made his debut for Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy side in the Irani Cup against Rest of India, but still not the IPL. That came only now, after a freak injury to Gaikwad opened a door that Mhatre might’ve otherwise had to keep knocking on for a few more seasons.

Just weeks ago, he’d been benched from the Ranji XI after his idol Rohit Sharma returned to domestic cricket. Instead of sulking, he posed for a selfie with India’s skipper.

Mhatre now has cut himself off from social media, keeps his circle small, and prefers to focus on his batting. There’s no guarantee he’ll get a game this IPL.

He’s not here for the drama. He’s here for the grind.