Chennai Super Kings (CSK) roped in Dewald Brevis as a replacement for pacer Gurjapneet Singh ahead of their clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 20. The Men in Yellow are struggling in the tournament, having won just two out of the seven games they have played so far.
Brevis is a highly-rated young batter from South Africa who plied his trade for MI in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the last three seasons. However, he went unsold in the IPL 2025 mega auction last year. Brevis performed wonderfully in the SA20 2025, where he represented MI Cape Town. The 21-year-old smashed 291 runs from 10 innings at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 184.17.
The Johannesburg-born, who had a base price of INR 75 lakh at the IPL 2025 mega-auction has signed for CSK for INR 2.20 crore. However, CricTracker lists three cricketers who could have been a better choice for Chennai Super Kings than South African batter Dewald Brevis.
3. Jonny Bairstow
CSK are generally known for favouring experienced players over youngsters. This strategy has paid dividends for them as they are five-time champions. Many veterans have revived their careers after sporting the iconic yellow jersey. Bairstow could have been an ideal fit in CSK’s plans, not just because of his experience, but also his ability to put the best bowlers in world cricket to the sword on his day.
CSK’s intent with the bat has been questioned by experts and fans alike. The likes of Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra have not been able to make the most of the field restrictions inside the powerplay. Intent has never been an issue with Bairstow, and his IPL strike rate of 144.46 accentuates the same. He has played 50 games in the cash-rich league and scored 1,589 runs at an average of 34.54.
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2. Lhuan-dre Pretorius
Lhuan-dre Pretorius burst onto the scene during SA20 2025, scoring some big runs for Paarl Royals. The left-handed batter opened the innings and finished as the highest run-getter in the six-team tournament. He slammed 397 runs from 12 innings at an average of 33.08 and a strike rate of 166.81.
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Pretorius is just 19 years old, and he can hit a long ball. His ability to clear the ropes at will would have made him a great choice for CSK. Pretorius is also a good player of spin, and that would have helped him excel at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. He has a formidable strike rate of 147.17 in the shortest format. The southpaw has the potential to be a big name in world cricket in the coming years.
1. Prithvi Shaw
Termed as India’s future batting superstar a few years back, Prithvi Shaw now finds himself struggling to get back into the IPL. The 25-year-old went unsold in the IPL auction, but many believed that he would be one of the first injury replacements picked. However, he is still waiting for a call-up with the IPL reaching the halfway stage.
Shaw can be an asset at the top of the order for CSK. The Chennai-based franchise has struggled to score freely inside the powerplay. The Mumbai batter is known for being a destructive force in the powerplay overs, and this could have made him a perfect fit at the top of the order. An in-form Shaw could have been a major boon for the MS Dhoni-led side. The right-handed batter, who strikes at 147.47 in the IPL, might not have had a memorable domestic season, but he could have thrived for CSK as an opening batter.
