Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra reacted to Dewald Brevis’ injury, claiming that Chennai Super Kings’ luck is quite rotten’. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed his injury in the pre-match press conference ahead of their IPL 2026 opener against RR, scheduled for Monday. The South African sustained a side strain during training and will miss their first game of the season.
“Brevis is out. He had a side injury during training. He is rehabbing. Hopefully, won’t be [out] for too long,” said Fleming.
It has not yet been confirmed if he will be fit for their second game of the season, at home against PBKS.
Taking to X, Chopra said that Brevis’ injury could force CSK to change their batting strategy. He wrote, “CSK’s luck is quite rotten with Injuries even before the first ball is bowled… If Brevis is unavailable for the first few games, I feel they should make a pivot with their opening plans.”
“Start with Sanju-Ayush and have Rutu at 3. Sarfraz should be in the conversation now too,” he further added.
CSK will also be without MS Dhoni for their opener, and he is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 due to a calf strain. Earlier, CSK seamer Nathan Ellis was ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury. His replacement, Spencer Johnson, is reportedly currently recovering from a back stress injury and will join the squad between April 21-23.
Brevis joined CSK as a mid-season injury replacement last year and showcased his talent. In what a poor season for CSK, Brevis was one of the few shining lights, getting 225 runs from six games at an average of 37.50 and a 180 strike rate.
