Skill meets strategy: Dewald Brevis set to benefit from Dhoni’s calm influence at CSK

Dubai: He’s got the flair, the power, and the record for the fastest 150 in T20s. What Dewald Brevis needs now is direction — and who better to provide it than Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the master of calm, clarity and comebacks.

Brevis burst into the Indian Premier League in 2023 with the weighty tag of “Baby AB” but failed to live up to the hype at Mumbai Indians, scoring just 230 runs in 10 innings. The 21-year-old South African went unsold in the 2025 auction in Jeddah, his base price of Rs7.5 million failing to tempt any bidders.

But fortunes have flipped. Brevis has been signed by Chennai Super Kings as a replacement for Gurjapneet Singh for Rs22 million, and the timing couldn’t be better. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s injury has brought Dhoni back at the helm — and under the legendary Indian captain’s guidance, Brevis may finally unlock his full potential.

Once touted as the next big thing after a standout Under-19 World Cup in 2022, Brevis has struggled to break into the South African senior side. He’s played just two T20Is and isn’t part of the Proteas set-up currently. But he’s been in red-hot domestic form — finishing as the second-highest run-scorer in both South Africa’s one-day and first-class competitions and smashing 38 off 18 balls in the SA20 final to help MI Cape Town win their maiden title.

Now, the Super Kings dressing room offers him a different kind of platform — one built on trust, calmness, and clarity.

Dhoni has been known to resurrect careers, not just with tactical tweaks but with an unmatched ability to understand players. From Mustafizur Rahman regaining his fizz last season to countless youngsters maturing into match-winners, the multiple World Cup-winning captain’s influence is often intangible — but deeply effective.

For Brevis, who has all the shots but sometimes falters under pressure, that influence could be transformative. Dhoni might help him channel his aggression, refine his shot selection, and most importantly, settle his mind during crunch moments.

Even rivals can’t resist Dhoni’s aura. After smashing a century against Chennai, Punjab’s Priyansh Arya wanted to meet him. Sanju Samson once said he waited until scoring a hundred before approaching his idol. Brevis, however, will have the unique luxury of sharing a dressing room with Dhoni for the next 45 days.

As Dhoni himself said during an Etihad event: “We use individuals according to their strengths and over the period we groom them in the weakness without them even knowing they’re working on it.”

For Brevis, this is more than just another IPL stint — it’s a second chance, in the right place, under the right captain.