Dewald Brevis’ stock has risen sharply over the past couple of years after a few early setbacks following the Under-19 World Cup. He joined Mumbai Indians in IPL 2022 amid huge hype, earning the ‘Baby AB’ tag for his similarities with AB de Villiers. Opportunities were limited at MI, but the experience proved valuable. Being part of a dressing room with players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, and working under mentors such as Sachin Tendulkar and Mahela Jayawardene, helped shape his game and laid a strong foundation for the future.
Brevis arrived in IPL with some big hype and the big Indian players did notice him for his fearless batting approach. Reflecting on his early IPL days, the Proteas youngster revealed that he didn’t initially follow the advice from KL Rahul about staying true to his game, admitting he strayed from his natural approach before eventually finding his way.
“Even in my young days, I remember KL Rahul told me my first IPL, always be true to yourself. That was his advice. What did I do? I went out, and I wasn’t true to myself at the start. But it was a beautiful journey. It has been great,” he said on Ashwin’s YouTube channel.
“My time at MI really formed who I was”
Looking back on his stint with Mumbai Indians, Brevis spoke about the importance of that phase in shaping him as a player, highlighting how time spent with senior figures like Rohit and mentors helped him make clearer decisions about his game.
“It was important for my journey to have gone through that. My time at MI, three years, really formed who I was. But in that time, I had to make that decision, I had to tell myself that any young cricketer, what is the most important in his life, and that is what all the people adviced me. I did good things, but I knew what I wanted. I have learned a lot in the nets, like spending time with Rohit, Mahela, Sachin Sir, and everyone. I felt like I needed to make decisions about what is good for my game,” he stated.
