Ravichandran Ashwin has described Dewald Brevis as nothing short of a “crown jewel” for Chennai Super Kings, revealing an intriguing backstory behind the South African star’s signing. According to Ashwin, CSK might have cleverly navigated a loophole, offering Brevis more than his base price to secure his services as an injury replacement during the IPL.
Officially, CSK picked Brevis at his base price of ₹2.2 crore to replace injured pacer Gurjapneet Singh. The 22-year-old batting prodigy made an immediate impact, playing six matches and smashing 225 runs at a blistering strike rate of 180, a rare spark in what was otherwise CSK’s most underwhelming season.
Brevis has since gone on to score his maiden T20I century for South Africa against Australia, breaking multiple records — including becoming the youngest from his country to achieve the feat. Such performances only vindicated CSK’s gamble, turning a struggling season into one with at least one bright takeaway.
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Ashwin revealed that despite going unsold in last year’s mega auction, Brevis was still in high demand. Several IPL franchises reportedly held talks with him but backed out after refusing to meet his asking price.
“Brevis had a wild second half of the season for CSK,” Ravichandran Ashwin said on his YouTube channel. “I heard 2-3 teams were in talks with him, but they weren’t willing to pay extra, so negotiations fell through.”
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That’s when CSK made their move. “CSK swooped in and sealed the deal. Brevis’s ask was simple — ‘If I come now and do well, my value goes up. So pay me for that value.’ CSK nailed it by agreeing to his terms. Now, they’ve got themselves a crown jewel,” Ravichandran Ashwin added.
Looking ahead, Ashwin believes CSK’s late-season resurgence, combined with ₹30 crore in their auction purse, puts them in a strong position to rebuild into a title-contending unit. If Brevis’s explosive form continues, CSK’s investment could prove to be one of the smartest recruitment moves in recent IPL history.
