He may not have fulfilled his Proteas promise just yet, but Dewald Brevis is already a fine T20 cricketer in his own right.
At 21, Brevis is a ‘veteran’ of 66 T20 matches though he has played just the two games at senior international level four South Africa.
In fact, his record in the T20 leagues across the globe makes for impressive reading.
Brevis has already played 10 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Mumbai Indians (MI). That has seen him score 230 runs at a strike-rate of 133.
There is a reason why Dewald Brevis is rated so highly. This is just a small glimpse#SA20pic.twitter.com/2LyffJ6V0N
— Werner (@Werries_) January 10, 2023
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The youngster also boasts strike-rates of 132 in Major League Cricket and 154 in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Strangely, only in the SA20 (125) has Brevis not managed a strike-rate of over 130.
At MI, Brevis - also known as Baby AB for his similar batting style to AB de Villiers - has worked extensively with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
"Sachin (Tendulkar), I've spent a lot of time with him on and off the field. We speak a lot about how he went about his career so I could be able to learn from him about techniques and the mental side of the game.
“All that has played a big part in me being where I am now in my career,” Brevis told SportsBoom.com
"Also, guys such as Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and all these big names that are in the Mumbai Indians team, dominate international cricket. So, for me, it's about learning from them but also knowing that I am Dewald, and I am my own player.”
Touted as a future Proteas star in his teens, Brevis explained how he has managed the heavy expectations on his shoulders.
"I had to learn my game at the highest level. If you think about it, the Indian Premier League is the biggest stage in the world because you face the world's best bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and many others.
"That's where I had to figure out my game and it's not easy because you're always in the spotlight but at the same time it's a great privilege.”