Australia’s Glenn Maxwell has spoken about Dewald Brevis’ rise, admitting that the young South African has had to carry a lot of weight on his shoulders thanks to the nickname ‘Baby AB.’
Glenn Maxwell On Dewald Brevis Carrying The ‘Baby AB’ Label
Dewald Brevis, now 22, has been compared to AB de Villiers since his Under-19 days, and while the tag drew attention, Maxwell believes it also brought pressure too soon.
“It’s a pretty heavy burden he had to have early in his career. He probably got fast-tracked a little bit into the South African side. He’s gone away, worked on his game, and he’s come back playing beautifully. His bat swing is really pure – he’s hard to stop when he gets going,” Maxwell said, as quoted by Yahoo News.
A Knock to Remember Against Australia
And Dewald Brevis has been proving exactly that. In the second T20I against Australia, he produced an absolute gem of an innings: an unbeaten 125 off just 56 balls, laced with 12 fours and eight sixes. His strike rate? A jaw-dropping 223.
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Thanks to his fireworks, South Africa piled up 218 for 7 and went on to win by 53 runs. That knock also sent him soaring up the ICC T20I rankings, where he jumped 80 spots to No. 21, reaching a career-best 614 rating points.
Fresh Start in the IPL With CSK
Dewald Brevis first made waves in the IPL with Mumbai Indians, but consistency was an issue and the partnership eventually ended. His fresh chance came in IPL 2025 with Chennai Super Kings, who snapped him up as an injury replacement for INR 2.2 crore.
He grabbed the opportunity, scoring 225 runs in just six games at a blistering strike rate of 180, including two fifties, reminding everyone why he’s so highly rated in T20 cricket.
What’s Next for Brevis?
So far, Dewald Brevis has played two Tests and 10 T20Is, and now he’s in the mix for South Africa’s ODI squad against Australia. The three-match series begins on August 19, and all eyes will be on whether the “Baby AB” tag becomes less of a burden and more of a badge of honor.
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