Dewald Brevis makes a big statement on SA A tour of Sri Lanka

Rising South African cricket talent Dewald Brevis made a firm statement in South Africa A’s opening tour match against Sri Lanka A in Kandy on Sunday by smacking an unbeaten 98 to power his side to a four-wicket win in the 50 over game.

It was a timely reminder of Brevis’ burgeoning talent, after he endured a frustrating IPL tournament over the past two months, where he was contracted to the Mumbai Indians but didn’t make a single appearance in any of their 16 matches.

International career

Brevis burst onto the world cricket scene early last year when he scored a tournament record 506 runs at the U19 World Cup and was subsequently named player of the tournament.

He was then signed by the Mumbai Indians for the 2022 IPL and made a couple of appearances for them, before also featuring for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 2022 Caribbean Premier League.

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He made his Titans debut at the start of the 2022-23 season and hammered a massive 162 off just 57 balls against the Knights during the T20 tournament, which broke a number of records as the third highest score in a men’s T20 match in history.

Brevis was picked up by the Mumbai Indians Cape Town for the SA20 competition, and although he did not light up the tournament he still managed some credible scores, including scoring a half century and 46 in two of the games.

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Although the 20-year-old has primarily played T20s since making his senior debut, having made 44 appearances, he has also played in seven 50-over games and three first-class matches.

He scored a half-century for the SA Invitational team against West Indies in an unofficial match, and was drafted into the SA A squad for their tour of Sri Lanka.

Rising star

Despite his disappointment of not getting a chance for the Mumbai Indians in the 2023 IPL, he has definitely reminded people of his talent. And following his 70-ball 98 in the first 50-over match against Sri Lanka A, he will be eager to back it up over the rest of the tour.

If Brevis can be managed properly and if he can continue putting in top performances for the SA A side, he could find himself in the Proteas side sooner rather than later, with Test coach Shukri Conrad and limited overs coach Rob Walter both on the SA A tour.

With the 50-over World Cup in India coming up later this year, Brevis could also be the x-factor player that the Proteas need to make a challenge for the trophy.