‘I am ready for the Protea call-up’ – Dewald Brevis thinks he is ready to play for South Africa

Still into his teens, Dewald Brevis has already made a name in the cricketing world with his supreme batting skills and amazing consistency. Brevis shot to fame while leading South Africa’s batting in an otherwise disappointing U19 World Cup campaign in the West Indies earlier this year, aggregating a whopping 506 runs at 84.33, while also bagging seven wickets at 28.57 with his wrist-spin.

That Player of the Tournament performance made him a much sought after uncapped young gun at the IPL 2022 auctions, and he was roped in for INR 3 crores by the Mumbai Indians, after Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings had played a part in a fierce bid.

Brevis scored 161 runs at a strike-rate of 142.48 in the tournament with a highest of 25-ball 49 against the Punjab Kings, that included a stunning assault against leg-spinner Rahul Chahar.

The right-hander went 4, 6, 6, 6 and 6 against the wrist-spinner, with the slog sweeps being uncannily similar to those of his idol AB de Villiers.

Nicknamed “Baby AB”, Brevis stated that it’s his intent and fearlessness that gets the best out of him.

“While facing bowlers, I always show intent. I am a fearless batter, but never reckless,” Brevis told Sportskeeda. “When I was facing Rahul Chahar, I was looking to attack. The four sixes and a boundary came naturally. My hands and body took over because it was in my area to score. My fearlessness has always been there since I was a small boy. I will always keep it.”

The youngster’s exclusion from South Africa’s T20I squad against India last month did spark some debates. Brevis maintained that he’s ready for a potential call-up, while expressing his keenness to bat at any position across formats, as per the team’s requirement.

“I am ready for the Protea call-up. I want to represent my country and establish myself across all three formats. I like batting at No.3, but I can also bat at other positions, wherever the team needs me.”