While many South Africans will have their time in the sun in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), young Dewald Brevis is part of a number of Proteas who were left unsold in the auction.
Brevis was on the books of the Mumbai Indians over the last three years after catching the eye with blistering performance at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in the West Indies.
Brevis scored 506 runs, including with two centuries and three half-centuries, in six games in the tournament as a teenager. He was also likened to countryman AB de Villiers, who the youngster has clearly tried to mimic with great success.
Brevis hits the ball with the same power and skill as De Villiers did in his pomp, but the youngster hasn’t been able to take that next step in his promising career.
In his first expedition into the IPL in 2022, he scored just 161 runs in seven matches. He didn’t play any matches the next year, and featured in only three matches for the Mumbai side in 2024.
In his two matches for the Proteas in a T20 series against Australia, he managed just five runs.
Domestically, he has also not find the that consistency to really kickstart his career. In 20 matches in the SA20 for MI Cape Town, Brevis has scored just 385 runs at an average of 22.64.
Over the years he has played some phenomenal innings in all formats for the Titans, boasting a highest T20 score of 162 against the Knights a few seasons ago, while recently scored a sparking First-Class 159 against the Dolphins.
But these knocks are few and far between.
After bursting on the scene, bowlers have started to figure out hard-hitting Brevis. Many have decided that the short ball is the best way to counter his ability to clear the fence.
However, with him not playing IPL next season, Brevis can now focus on sharpening up his game by facing lots of balls in First-Class cricket, which has always been regarded as the best school for batsmen.
He recently got nice exposure to the Test team’s set-up when he was part of the squad for the series in Bangladesh. While he didn’t play in any of the two Tests, he would gotten great experience of what he needs to do to play at the highest level.
People forget that the 21-year-old Brevis is still very young and has his whole career ahead of him. Missing next year’s IPL may be just the tonic for him to develop as a cricketer in the red-ball space.
South African players who went unsold in the IPL Auction:
Rassie van der Dussen
Nandre Burger
Wayne Parnell
Keshav Maharaj
Dewald Brevis
Nqaba Peter
Tabraiz Shamsi
Kyle Verreynne
Ottniel Baartman
Wiaan Mulder
Dwaine Pretorius
Junior Dala
Darryn Dupavillon
Patrick Kruger
Corban Bosch
Duane Jansen
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