It took just 5 balls for Dewald Brevis to change the complexion of Mumbai Indians’ chase against the Punjab Kings on Thursday evening in Pune as he smashed Rahul Chahar for a boundary followed by 4 consecutive sixes in one over.
Chasing a massive target of 199, Mumbai Indians needed exactly a madcap crazy over like that to keep them in the hunt after matters were compounded by the loss of both openers, Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, for the score of 32.
Dewald Brevis took his time to get off the mark – he played out 8 dot balls before stroking a couple of boundaries to Arshdeep Singh. Being 8 off 11, Brevis’ innings took off in a stunning fashion.
Dewald Brevis whacked Odean Smith over deep square leg with a voluptuous pull shot. He was now run-a-ball 16. And came The Rahul Chahar over that, those witnessing in the crowd and watching from home, along with both Chahar and Brevis will not forget for a long time.
The over that brought to the fore why Brevis is nicknamed ‘Baby AB’ for his similarities with the former Protea legend. That over that catapults Brevis in a rare list of overseas youngsters to have taken the IPL by storm.
Tilak Varma takes a singe on the first ball. Rahul Chahar has had a fantastic IPL 2022 so far, having taken 7 wickets in 4 matches at an economy of 6.31. What happened next elicited completed pandemonium at the MCA stadium and on Twitter as Dewald Brevis clattered Chahar for more than four times that economy in just 5 balls.
Dewald Brevis first thumps Chahar for a boundary straight down the ground. Next: Mayhem. Six: a loopy ball on the sticks, Brevis makes room and launches over long-on. Six: Brevis showed his nous as he moved across slightly anticipating a delivery outside off – it was and he picked the bones out of it, sending the slog sweep for 102 metres wide long-on.
Six: rattled by this onslaught, Chahar bowled a faster 106 KPH seam-up ball, but it was short and Brevis pulled it over deep mid-wicket. Six: short of options, Chahar once again goes for the flighted delivery, aiming to draw out a big shot – Brevis obliged, and once again down on his knees, smoked it over long-on leaving everyone up on their feet.
Dewald Brevis walloped Odean Smith for a boundary and inched closer to what would have been his maiden IPL fifty, however, the West Indian pacer dismissed him for 49 off 25 balls, a mistimed pull shot caught at deep backward square leg.
It was that one over of display of some extraordinary talent, crazy power but clean striking that had the Pune crowd giving Dewald Brevis a standing ovation on his walk back. An over that’s going to be in our memory as young Brevis continued to climb the ladder of success with the bat in hand. ‘Baby AB’ they say him; his knock today would have made de Villiers proud too.
