The IPL is a platform where cricketers from across the globe get a platform to ply their trade and make a name for themselves. Innumerable Indian youngsters have gained prominence and come under the limelight.
The IPL has helped players get noticed by the selectors without even having established themselves in the first-class circuit. One example of it is Jasprit Bumrah. In recent years, even foreign players are being taken note of by their respective boards. Marco Jansen last year and Jos Butler in 2018 are examples of getting selected for the national team basis their IPL performance.
Who is Dewald Brevis
The recent name to get on the bandwagon of youngsters making a name for themselves in the IPL is the South African batter, Dewald Brevis. He happened to celebrate his 19th birthday yesterday but has already become a household name in India and has cricket fans in South Africa excited.
It was his performance in the U-19 ICC World Cup earlier this year. He was hitting sixes with ease that made IPL scouts sit up and take notice before the auctions. He plundered 506 runs in the 6 innings in the world cup with two centuries and three half-centuries, two of them in the 90s. This is a record for the most runs scored in a single campaign.
The timing of his world cup campaign was perfect as Mumbai Indians decided that they would have him and center their middle-order around him in the years to come. He was picked up rather cheaply for just INR 3 crores by the franchise.
He has since then given an account of his batting prowess and six-hitting capabilities. Having got a chance in the third match of the season against KKR, he scored 29 off 19. Brevis was comfortable taking on the likes of Narine, Cummins, and Umesh Yadav.
His next three innings were even more swanky. He came into his own against Punjab Kings with a magnificent 25-ball 49. Subsequently, he made a crisp 13 balls 31 against Lucknow Super Giants. His ability to clear the boundary ropes with ease and also anchor the innings makes him a special talent for the Mumbai Indians.
The “Baby AB”
These innings from Brevis have had people talk about him. After the match against LSG, Bens Stokes tweeted an appreciation for him. His batting style, flair, and hitting ability remind people of the great AB de Villiers. The fact that Brevis is also from South Africa adds to the connection. However, it is too early now. Only time shall tell if Dewald Brevis goes on to become a South African and IPL superstar like AB de Villiers.
