3 reasons why CSK must play Dewald Brevis in their playing 11 immediately in IPL 2025
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) roped in South African batter Dewald Brevis as injured pacer Gurjapneet Singh's replacement for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season. The 21-year-old, who went unsold at the mega auction, will now join CSK for ₹ 2.2 crores.
Brevis is a vastly experienced T20 player with 81 games under his belt. Popularly called 'Baby AB' for his similarities with former Proteas batter AB de Villiers, Brevis boasts a T20 strike rate of almost 145.
The youngster has also played two T20Is for South Africa in the 2023 series against Australia. Meanwhile, CSK have struggled to get going thus far this season, winning only two out of their first seven games.
Furthermore, they lost their regular skipper, Ruturaj Gaikwad, for the rest of the tournament a week back due to an elbow injury. Nevertheless, the Men in Yellow can derive confidence from a thrilling win in their latest encounter against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
However, with no wiggle room for errors, CSK must be at their best in the second half of the season, starting with the high-octane clash against the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Sunday, April 20.
With that in mind, let us look at three reasons CSK must start playing Dewald Brevis in the 11 right away in IPL 2025.
# 1 Dewald Bravis could play a decisive role in CSK's next encounter
The conditions at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where CSK play their next IPL 2025 match, could not be more different from those in Chennai. While the Mumbai pitch might trouble several regulars from the CSK side, the incoming Brevis could not have asked for a better place to reignite his IPL career.
The 21-year-old has played ten IPL games thus far, with all ten coming for MI in 2022 and 2024. Brevis may not have had much success at the Wankhede Stadium, with an average of under 16, but his familiarity with conditions could be crucial.
Being from South Africa, the youngster should also enjoy the extra pace and bounce of the Wankhede wicket more than most other CSK batters.
# 2 Brevis' versatility will enable CSK to tinker with their lineup
Dewald Brevis' versatility could play a massive role in CSK nailing down their ideal batting order for the rest of the season. Most of CSK's struggles have been due to their troubled batting performances and the lack of all-round batters.
Their openers have struggled to find the ropes beyond the powerplay, even if well-set, while six-hitters like Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni cannot bat earlier than a particular stage in a game.
However, with Brevis, CSK may have the perfect glue, with his ability to excel at any stage of a T20 contest. Evidence of his versatility was visible in the recent 2025 SA20, where the South African batted almost everywhere in the top seven, depending on the game situation, for MI Cape Town.
Brevis batted at No.6 and scored an 18-ball 38 in the grand finale while scoring a 30-ball 44 at No.3 in the previous game - Qualifier One.
Even in his limited opportunities in the IPL, he batted from opening to No.4 for MI. With Brevis in the playing XI, CSK can mix and match with the position of other batters to play them at their ideal spots and try out different overseas combinations.
# 3 Brevis' recent form should help CSK with their power game
Form plays a bigger role than any other element in T20s. Thankfully for CSK, Dewald Brevis comes into the tournament with plenty of it. The 21-year-old has been scoring runs for fun in first-class and List-A cricket in South Africa, with six 50+ scores in his last ten innings.
His T20 form has been equally impressive, with the batter scoring 291 runs at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 184.17 in the SA20 earlier this year. Brevis helped MI Cape Town win their maiden SA 20 title with his breathtaking batting heroics.
Numbers aside, Brevis will also instantly solve CSK's biggest woes this season - power-hitting. The 21-year-old smashed the most sixes in the 2025 SA20 with 25, and his ability to manufacture boundaries at will should make him the perfect tonic for a floundering CSK top and middle order.