Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) legend AB de Villiers has defended his recent tweets amid the controversy surrounding South African batter Dewald Brevis and Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The former cricketer and current analyst highlighted that several IPL teams, including RCB and Mumbai Indians (MI), overlooked the talented player during the 2025 auction.
De Villiers’ remarks followed Brevis’ brilliant showing for South Africa, scoring 125* off 56 and 53 off 26 in consecutive T20Is against Australia. The debate intensified after CSK confirmed they followed IPL 2025–27 rules, amid Ashwin’s claims of “extra money” spent on him.
The Super Kings signed Brevis mid-way through the IPL 2025 season as a replacement player for ₹2.2 crore. The right-handed batter impressed with the bat, scoring 225 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 180, including two half-centuries. AB de Villiers commented on his YouTube channel:
“I just wanted to highlight that many teams missed out on him. Franchises, scouts, and owners got it wrong in the auction by not picking him. Teams like RCB and MI let him go, which was a big loss. My tweet was to show how talented and capable he is.”
“I also tweeted about him being picked up at the IPL or not being picked up initially and then getting into CSK’s team because of an injury. I thought maybe some people misunderstood my tweet. It had nothing to do with any technical or anything to do with the rules of the IPL,” he added.
AB de Villiers Advises Dewald Brevis On Timing And Tempering Aggression
AB de Villiers also offered valuable advice to Dewald Brevis, recommending that he vary his approach during an innings. He encouraged the CSK batter to balance defensive and attacking shots. The former South Africa captain added in the same video:
“Brevis, I mean, when he gets going, it is just wonderful to watch. He strikes fear into all bowling attacks, and that’s the kind of player you want in your team, but that is also an area of concern for me where he struggles to sort of get out of that fifth gear back to third and fourth, just to sort of learn to control the game better. I think it’s going to be very important for him moving forward.”
“Understanding the change of gears and when to take the foot off the pedal a little bit. But obviously, a natural ball striker. He strikes fear into all bowling attacks and that’s the kind of player you want in your team,” the 41-year-old added.
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