AB De Villiers Critiques IPL Auction Snub Of Dewald Brevis – Outlook India

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AB de Villiers labels Dewald Brevis a missed ‘golden opportunity’ for ‘other’ IPL teams
He joined CSK as a replacement after going unsold in the IPL 2025 auction
Brevis scored an explosive 125 off 56 balls against Australia in the second T20I
Former South Africa cricket team captain AB de Villiers posted on X (formerly Twitter) on August 12, 2025, expressing strong views about Dewald Brevis and the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 auction.
In a series of posts, De Villiers wrote: “There was such a golden opportunity for IPL teams to pick up Dewald Brevis at the auction! Missed out badly. CSK either got very lucky, or maybe the biggest master stroke ever.
“The boy can play. Mind boggling that he wasn’t picked up at all! To think that he came in as an injury sub.”
There was such a golden opportunity for IPL teams to pick up Dewald Brevis at the auction! Missed out badly. CSK either got very lucky, or maybe the biggest master stroke ever👏 The boy can play @BrevisDewald
His remarks came after Brevis’s explosive T20I performance against Australia, and directly referenced the IPL 2025 mega auction outcome, where Brevis went unsold before joining Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as an injury replacement.
Since 2023, IPL franchises have increasingly relied on mid-season replacement signings to address injuries and form slumps, with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formalising protocols for such moves. The trend has prompted teams to scout for high-upside talent outside the auction pool, especially after standout international performances.
Dewald Brevis went unsold at the IPL 2025 mega auction, which was held in November 2024 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia — a rare venue for the event. Despite his reputation as a power-hitter, no IPL franchise secured him during the auction.
Later, Brevis joined CSK as a replacement signing during IPL 2025, not as an auction purchase. After joining CSK, Brevis scored 225 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 180, underlining his elite T20 impact.
The second-quickest T20I hundred from a South African player!

Dewald Brevis, take a bow 👏#AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/JOpk3tptGT
AB de Villiers’ public endorsement, combined with Brevis’s IPL and international exploits, is expected to influence future franchise strategies and auction valuations.
On August 12, 2025, in the second T20I between Australia and South Africa at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin, Dewald Brevis delivered a historic performance. He scored an unbeaten 125 off 56 balls, striking at 223.21 with 12 fours and eight sixes, powering South Africa to 218/7 in 20 overs.
Brevis reached his hundred in just 41 balls, becoming the youngest South African to score a T20I century and the first to do so against Australia. He dominated bowlers Glenn Maxwell and Josh Hazlewood, taking 30 runs off 8 balls from Maxwell and 26 off 9 from Hazlewood. This innings significantly raised his profile in both international and franchise cricket circles.
Brevis’s rapid rise in T20 cricket reflects a broader surge of young power-hitters making an impact in international matches in recent times. In the 2024-25 season, players aged 23 or younger accounted for five of the top ten fastest T20I centuries worldwide, according to ICC data.
South Africa’s domestic T20 league, SA20, has also seen a 30 per cent increase in under-25 player participation since its inaugural season in 2023.
Brevis’s performance in Darwin drew comparisons to Suryakumar Yadav’s 117 off 55 balls against England in 2022, highlighting a global trend of aggressive top-order batting.
Analysts from ESPNcricinfo note that franchise scouts now prioritise strike rate and adaptability over experience, especially for auction targets under age 25.
AB de Villiers’ X post and Brevis’s Darwin century have amplified the young batter’s reputation, with analysts describing CSK’s move as a master stroke and opportunistic value capture. Peer reactions, such as Tabraiz Shamsi calling Brevis ‘a machine,’ highlight his high-impact, high-variance style.
Mind boggling that he wasn’t picked up at all! To think that he came in as an injury sub🤷‍♂️😄
While Brevis’s IPL 2025 output and international records suggest a rising ceiling, there is no formal confirmation of future IPL contracts as of August 12, 2025.
However, his unsold status at the Jeddah auction and subsequent success as a replacement are expected to prompt franchises to re-evaluate his price and role flexibility ahead of future drafts and auctions, especially for top-order power and matchup hitting against pace and off-spin.
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