South African batting prodigy Dewald Brevis has set the cricketing world alight, and none other than AB de Villiers believes Chennai Super Kings may have pulled off their “greatest masterstroke” in signing him. The 22-year-old lit up the Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin with a jaw-dropping 41-ball century in the second T20I against Australia, leaving fans and experts in awe.
AB de Villiers took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the youngster’s brilliance, remarking, “There was such a golden opportunity for IPL teams to snap up Dewald Brevis at the auction! Missed out badly. CSK either got very lucky or perhaps pulled off the biggest masterstroke ever. The boy can play.”
It wasn’t just AB who was impressed. South African spinner Tabraiz Shamsi called Brevis “a machine” and urged fans to support him through both highs and lows. “Whether he is successful or has a few failures along the way — which is normal with the type of high-impact innings he plays — we’ve got to give him love and keep his confidence up,” Shamsi said.
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Ironically, Brevis had gone unsold at the IPL auction earlier this year. But CSK, known for unearthing hidden gems, roped him in as a replacement player. In just six matches for the franchise, he amassed 225 runs at a blistering strike rate of 180 — one of the few shining lights in an otherwise underwhelming season for the five-time champions.
Mind boggling that he wasn’t picked up at all! To think that he came in as an injury sub🤷♂️😄
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) August 12, 2025
His whirlwind century in Darwin now stands as the second-fastest T20I hundred by a South African:
- David Miller – 35 balls vs Bangladesh, 2017
- Dewald Brevis – 41 balls vs Australia, 2025
- Quinton de Kock – 43 balls vs West Indies, 2023
- Richard Levi – 45 balls vs New Zealand, 2012
- Faf du Plessis – 46 balls vs West Indies, 2015
Walking in at No. 4 in just his ninth T20I, Brevis wasted no time. He struck his first boundary off his third delivery and launched his maiden six in the seventh over off Glenn Maxwell — an over that yielded 23 runs. His innings featured nine fours and eight sixes, making him the first South African to clear the ropes more than five times in a T20I against Australia.
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At just 22, Brevis has already broken Hashim Amla’s mark for the fastest T20I century against Australia and became the youngest South African to score a T20I ton. With this mix of raw power, clean striking, and fearless intent, Chennai’s gamble looks more like genius with every passing innings.
