“Injury replacement like Chris Gayle”: Anil Kumble predicts succesful future for 21-year-old Chennai Super Kings player
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) suffered their seventh defeat of the IPL 2025 season when they fell short by five wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
Despite the defeat, former Indian captain Anil Kumble found a silver lining in the performance of young Dewald Brevis. In his debut match for CSK, the 21-year-old South African batter impressed with a knock of 42 off 25 balls, featuring 4 sixes and 1 four.
Kumble, regarded as one of India’s legendary leg-spinners, praised Brevis for his bold approach and predicted a bright future for the young player. He hailed the maturity Brevis showed under pressure.
“His ability to play spin was impressive. Chennai isn’t the easiest place to bat as the surface can be tricky. But his batting against spinners was impressive. He’s shown glimpses of his talent in South Africa, domestic cricket and in the U-19 level,” he said.
Despite going unsold in the mega auction, Brevis joined CSK as an injury replacement for INR 2.2 crore. Kumble compared Dewald to Chris Gayle, who joined Royal Challengers Bengaluru as an injury replacement in 2011 and quickly became one of the league’s biggest stars.
“He wasn’t even in the original squad and came in as a replacement. It reminded me of how Chris Gayle, the ‘Universe Boss,’ made a similar impact for RCB in 2011 and became an icon,” he said.
“Brevis is an exciting talent with a complete range of shots. With youngsters like Rachin Ravindra, Mhatre, and Pathirana, CSK have a young core to build on. Brevis could be a long-term asset for the franchise,” he added.
Speaking on CSK’s current challenges, Kumble noted, “With five matches left this season, it’s a great opportunity to give chances to young players and starts planning for the next phase.”
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