The SA20 2026 auction saw a record-breaking bid take place for the 22-year-old young batsman Dewald Brevis. He was picked up for R16.5 million (approx ₹8.31 crore) by the Pretoria Capitals. Dewald Brevis featured in the IPL 2025 for the Chennai Super Kings as a replacement signing for Gurjapneet Singh.
How did Dewald Brevis become the most expensive player?
Earlier during the day, Aiden Markram joined the Durban Super Giants for a record of R14 million. This record was later broken by Brevis as Joburg Super Kings and Pretoria Capitals entered into a bidding war for his signature.
The Joburg Super Kings, a sister franchise of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, went till R16.4 million for Brevis. The Mumbai Indians Cape Town and Paarl Royals were other franchises that were determined to buy Brevis.
How did Dewald Brevis perform in the IPL?
Brevis was signed by the five-time IPL champions CSK for ₹2.2 crore as a replacement for Gurjapneet Singh, who was ruled out due to injury. Brevis impressed with his performances in the IPL, scoring 225 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 180. He also featured in IPL 2024 and 2022 for the Mumbai Indians.
Brevis’ idol, AB de Villiers, called it a masterstroke, bringing in Dewald Brevis to the Chennai Super Kings as a replacement. AB de Villiers is a massive believer in the young batsman’s talents and was impressed with CSK for trusting him whereas many didn’t trust his consistency. The move eventually worked out for the IPL giants.
Brevis previously played 32 matches for MI Cape Town and scored 676 runs at an average of 29.39 and a strike rate of 145.37, scoring four half-centuries. He has been in stellar form this year, playing five ODIs, scoring 104 runs at a strike-rate of 182.4. He also scored 313 runs in eight T20Is, striking at 196.8, with a best score of 125.
Also read: SA20 2025 Auction: Top 7 Most Expensive Players from SA20 auction ft. Dewald Brevis
What Next for Brevis and the Pretoria Capitals?
The Chennai Super Kings bought Dewald Brevis for 2.2 Crore for IPL 2025, which is comparatively low to his salary in SA20 2026. He was purchased for 16.5 million rand, or approximately ₹8.3 crores. This is a ₹6.1 crore increase from his salary in IPL 2025, which is a hike of a whopping 277%.
The Pretoria Capitals led the auction with the largest purse of R32.5 million and a refreshed coaching staff, headed by Sourav Ganguly and Shaun Pollock. Apart from Brevis, they also notably picked up Connor Esterhuizen (R3.2 million), Lizaad Williams (R2.40 million), and Keshav Maharaj (R1.7 million), just to name a few.
Conclusion
Dewald Brevis’s record-breaking price tag in the SA20 is more than just a headline; it is a statement of belief that Sourav Ganguly has made in the South African’s talents. Whether he becomes the face of the tournament or not is one for us to keep an eye on. Now, as the league grows in stature, Brevis carries the weight of expectations to justify his value.
Written by: Thillai Ritvik
