The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) brought in South African batter Dewald Brevis as an injury replacement during the middle of the IPL 2025 season. According to a report by The Times of India, England’s Jonny Bairstow was initially considered for the role. However, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming advocated for Brevis, and the decision was ultimately approved by MS Dhoni. Brevis joined the squad for Rs 2.2 crore, replacing the injured Gurjapneet Singh.
Did CSK prefer Dewald Brevis over Jonny Bairstow in IPL 2025?
Brevis, who had gone unsold in the mega auction, proved to be a valuable addition to the team. The young batter scored 225 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 180, including two half-centuries. His strong performance also led to a call-up to the South African national team after a nine-month hiatus. CSK’s choice to sign the young South African over the more experienced Bairstow was a strategic one, with Fleming’s recommendation playing a key role, and MS Dhoni—who was captaining in the absence of the injured Ruturaj Gaikwad—giving his final approval.
The report noted that while Brevis's past struggles against spin bowling had initially raised some concerns, the franchise viewed the situation as an opportunity to experiment. With CSK already out of playoff contention, they decided to give a young talent a chance to prove himself.
“He had seemed a suspect against spin in the first two seasons, and the data of the player didn’t suggest anything special. But with Ruturaj Gaikwad out with an injury, we were lacking firepower up top, and with no chance to make the play-offs, there was scope to experiment. Bairstow had experience, but by then we were ready to take a chance with young guns,” the source said, as quoted by TOI.
Brevis had limited experience before the IPL 2025 season, having played just 10 matches over two seasons for the Mumbai Indians (MI), which contributed to him going unsold in the mega auction. Despite this, CSK coach Stephen Fleming put his faith in the young batter, and MS Dhoni approved the decision, trusting Brevis's potential. Brevis delivered several crucial innings, including a 42-run knock off just 25 balls in a low-scoring match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with other notable performances against SRH, KKR, and the Gujarat Titans. The CSK management sees him as a developing talent and may retain him for the next season as part of a long-term strategy, hoping he can grow into one of the franchise's key young stars.
Dewald Brevis turns heads with blistering ton against Australia
Brevis recently showcased his immense talent in the second T20I between South Africa and Australia in Darwin. The 22-year-old smashed an unbeaten 125 off just 56 balls, a blistering innings that included 12 sixes and eight fours at a strike rate of 223.21. His remarkable performance helped South Africa post a formidable total of 218/7.
His century, reached in just 41 balls, is the second-fastest T20I hundred for South Africa, only behind David Miller's 35-ball ton in 2017. He also became the youngest South African to score a T20I hundred and set a new record for the highest individual T20I score by a Proteas batter. Australia's Glenn Maxwell and Ben Dwarshuis each took two wickets, but it wasn't enough to stop the onslaught. In their chase, Australia were bowled out for 165, with Corbin Bosch and Kwena Maphaka taking three wickets each, securing a 53-run victory for South Africa.