Chennai Super Kings have officially brought in South African sensation Dewald Brevis as a replacement for injured pacer Gurjapneet Singh ahead of their high-stakes IPL 2025 clash against Mumbai Indians. The announcement came on Friday, with the franchise confirming that Brevis has already joined the squad in Mumbai.
While IPL regulations generally allow only an Indian player to replace another Indian, CSK had one overseas slot left after the mega auction. That gave them the flexibility to sign Brevis, who had listed himself at a base price of Rs 75 lakh but was eventually picked for Rs 2.2 crore.
Popularly known as ‘Baby AB’ due to his resemblance and playing style similar to AB de Villiers, Brevis has quickly become a hot property in the T20 circuit. Though his international numbers are limited — just 5 runs in two T20Is for South Africa — his recent domestic form has been outstanding.
The 20-year-old last featured for Titans in South Africa’s CSA 4-Day Series Division 1, where he emerged as the second-highest run-scorer, piling up 573 runs in 12 matches at an impressive average of 47.75. His consistency across formats, including List A and first-class cricket, made him a compelling pick for CSK.
Brevis is no stranger to franchise cricket. He has previously represented Mumbai Indians in 10 IPL matches and continues to play for their sister teams in the MLC and SA20 leagues. In MLC 2024, he amassed 251 runs in 9 games at an average of 31.25 and a strike rate of 133. He also stood out in the SA20 2025 season, scoring 291 runs in 10 matches at a blazing average of 48.5 and a strike rate of 148.17, finishing as the sixth-highest run-getter.
So far in his T20 career, Brevis has played 81 matches, scoring at a formidable strike rate of 144.93.
Brevis becomes the second replacement CSK has brought in this season, following the addition of Mumbai’s Ayush Mhatre, who stepped in for regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
The MS Dhoni-led CSK currently languish at the bottom of the table with just two wins, and Brevis’ arrival could inject some much-needed firepower into the struggling lineup.
