In a significant mid-season development, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have signed promising South African batter Dewald Brevis as a replacement for the injured Gurjapneet Singh for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
Dewald Brevis joins CSK amidst a challenging IPL 2025 campaign
Brevis joined the Super Kings’ squad for INR 2.2 crore, bringing with him explosive batting potential and prior IPL experience. The move comes as CSK try to breathe life into a struggling season. With only two wins from seven matches, the five-time champions find themselves at the bottom of the points table. Injuries have compounded their woes, with captain Ruturaj Gaikwad already ruled out of the tournament due to an elbow injury, paving the way for MS Dhoni to return to the helm as skipper. In this context, the addition of Brevis is viewed as a tactical reinforcement, aimed at injecting aggression and youthful energy into CSK’s top-order batting.
Lesser known facts about CSK’s new recruit Dewald Brevis
1. Early life and background
- Brevis, popularly known as Baby AB, was born on 29 April 2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. His family, particularly his mother and elder brother, have been integral to his cricketing journey, emotionally and practically.
- From a very young age, Dewald was passionate about cricket, often playing backyard cricket with his elder brother, Reinard Brevis, and his father, Jack Brevis. His mother, Yolanda Brevis, was always supportive and believed in his potential to become a successful sportsperson.
- Brevis attended the prestigious Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies) in Pretoria, an institution known for producing cricket legends like De Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Jacques Rudolph and others. It was here that Brevis first met his idol AB de Villiers, a meeting that would later transform into a mentor-protégé relationship.
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2. Nicknames, playing style and bond with AB de Villiers
- Often referred to by nicknames such as “Baby AB”, “Junior AB”, or “AB 2.0”, Brevis has drawn comparisons with AB de Villiers due to his similar batting technique, explosive style, and ability to play 360-degree shots.
- He is a right-handed batter and bowls leg-break occasionally. His favorite shot is the straight drive or hitting straight over the top, something reminiscent of de Villiers’ aggressive yet graceful style.
- Dewald Brevis’ journey has been deeply inspired by AB de Villiers, who not only served as his idol but also became a mentor. The bond between the two began when de Villiers visited Affies and later grew into a mentorship, with AB offering personal coaching sessions.
- He even visited Brevis’ home to conduct net practice sessions. Brevis was so inspired by his mentor that he chose the jersey number 17 for the U19 World Cup, the same number de Villiers wore in his ODI debut in 2005. Brevis often wore an AB de Villiers shirt stitched by his mother and would tell people that he wanted to “entertain like AB” on the cricket field.
3. Career beginnings and rise in U19 cricket
- Brevis began his professional journey with the Northerns Under-13s and later represented Titans Cubs, showcasing immense potential early in his teenage years.
- His big break came during the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2022, where he had a record-breaking performance. Brevis amassed 506 runs in six innings, surpassing Shikhar Dhawan’s record for the most runs in a single U19 World Cup edition.
- He scored centuries against Bangladesh and Uganda, and significant knocks of 97, 96, and 65 against other teams. Alongside his batting, he also took seven wickets, making him a versatile asset for his team. Though South Africa exited in the quarter-finals, Brevis was named the Player of the Tournament.
4. IPL debut and Virat Kohli wicket
- Following his U19 heroics, Brevis was quickly noticed by IPL franchises. Despite his childhood dream of playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) due to his admiration for De Villiers and Virat Kohli, Mumbai Indians secured him for INR 3 crore in the 2022 IPL auction, far above his base price of INR 20 lakhs.
- He made his debut on 6 April 2022 against Kolkata Knight Riders and scored a promising 29 off 19 balls. One of the most memorable moments came during a match against RCB, when Brevis bowled his very first ball in the IPL and dismissed Kohli.
- Before his move to CSK, Dewald Brevis had already experienced the intensity and glamour of the IPL, having played a total of 10 matches for the Mumbai across the 2022 and 2024 seasons and score 230 runs at the strike rate of 133.
