Sourav Ganguly bought Dewald Brevis for R16.5 million.
Pretoria Capitals head coach Sourav Ganguly made some exciting signings during the SA20 2026 auction, but Dewald Brevis was the most notable. Brevis was always going to earn a massive sum, and after an intense bidding, the Capitals eventually bought him for a whopping R16.5 million.
Joburg Super Kings started the bidding with MI Cape Town before Paarl Royals joined in. However, once the amount crossed R10 million, Pretoria Capitals made a sudden entry, and Ganguly finally managed to get the most expensive player in the tournament’s history after fierce bidding with Stephen Fleming, JSK’s head coach.
Following the acquisition, reporters asked the former India captain how far he was willing to go for Brevis, to which Ganguly humouredly said, “Till Flem (Fleming) put the paddle down”. He jokingly added that it was a revenge for being dismissed multiple times on the New Zealand tour during his playing days, when Fleming was the captain.
“You know, he got me out too many times when he was captain, and we went to New Zealand. In the green seaming pitches, he had fielders all over, and they kept decking around all the time. So this was an opportunity to beat him, and we went past him.”
Sourav Ganguly batted 40 times against New Zealand when Stephen Fleming was the captain across formats and did a fine job with the willow. In Tests, he scored 563 runs at an average of 46.91 in 15 innings, including two fifties and three centuries.
Meanwhile, in ODIs, he accumulated 894 runs at an average of 37.25 and a strike rate of 73.15 in 25 outings, comprising four fifties and three centuries. But Ganguly made a valid point regarding his struggles in New Zealand, where his combined average falls to a mere 20.80 across 16 innings, with only one fifty and a century.
Under Fleming, the Kiwis churned out arduous decks to bat, and Ganguly registered 12 scores of 20 or below between 1999 and 2003. No wonder the former India captain still remembers his poor showing in this part of the world and termed Brevis’ acquisition a revenge on the auction day.
Fleming remains one of the most influential figures in New Zealand cricket, holding the record for most wins as captain in Tests and ODIs. He won 28 out of 80 Tests at a win-loss ratio of 1.03 and 98 out of 218 ODIs at a win-loss ratio of 0.92 as a leader.
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Pretoria Capitals had an idea to revamp their squad in the SA20 2026 auction ahead of a fresh cycle. Before the auction, they made only three pre-season signings, retaining Will Jacks and roping in Sherfane Rutherford and Andre Russell, who was a wildcard pick, and had the biggest purse.
Hence, they wanted to have a solid middle-order batter who can bat at a high rate and maximise the nice batting conditions in Pretoria. Even in general, PC wanted a dynamic batting lineup and worked towards building it, as depicted by the acquisition of players like Will Smeed and Bryce Parsons.
In Brevis, they get the best option available and a long-term investment, who can be their future captain. No wonder they broke the bank for him and spent around half of the purse on one player alone.
He has seen a rise as a white-ball batter this year, and PC hope he can continue his form ahead of the next season. A lot will depend on how Brevis performs, given that the whole team is structured around him.
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