In the Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) gloomy season, Dewald Brevis proved to be the biggest ray of hope. Noor Ahmad may have topped the wicket-takers column. Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ayush Mhatre may have scored more runs, but Brevis’ impact was unmatched.
His performance couldn’t turn CSK’s season around, but it gave them hope for a better future. Come the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, he’ll be a mainstay in the middle order as a game-changer. Only did Brevis record a score under 30. And his strike rate was 180, despite coming to bat at number five or six and almost every time in a precarious situation.
Dewald Brevis wasn’t supposed to join CSK
But Brevis almost didn’t come to IPL. He was supposed to play in the T20 Blast and County Championship for Hampshire after his domestic stint with the Titans. As per C.S. Chiwanza’s Substack, Brevis was approached by an IPL team and might have travelled to India before the tournament started. But the franchise couldn’t assure him that a spot in the starting XI.
The team wasn’t mentioned. But reports suggest it was the Delhi Capitals (DC). Before the IPL 2025 commenced, Harry Brook had pulled out of the tournament. This created a hole in DC’s middle order. And they wanted Brevis to fill it. But with Tristan Stubbs, Sameer Rivzi, Axar Patel, and Karun present, they couldn’t guarantee Brevis a place.
So, the talented batter declined their offer. Later in the season, CSK approached Brevis. MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming accepted Brevis’ term of being part of the starting XI. And it worked wonders. After 6 matches, Brevis ended with the 8th highest impact of all batters post the group stage in the Good Areas batter’s ratings.
Such was his performance that one can’t imagine CSK’s batting lineup without him. Who would have thought that losing their captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, to injury would turn out to be a blessing in disguise?
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