South Africa’s U-19 star Dewald Brevis on Wednesday night proved why he is fondly called ‘Baby AB’. Not only the fans but each and every member of the Mumbai Indians team was in the awe of his batting prowess during the IPL 2022 match no. 23 in Pune. In pursuit of a 199-run target, the youngster left no stone unturned to hurt the Punjab Kings bowlers. He batted in such a way that the MI dugout was full of hopes of their first win in this season. But unfortunately, his efforts were not enough to take the team home as Rohit Sharma & Co suffered a fifth loss in a row.
Brevis walked out to bat after Kagiso Rabada got the better of Rohit in the 4th over. After the departure of Ishan Kishan, the onus of the chase fell on the shoulders of Brevis and his partner Tilak Varma.
IPL FULL COVERAGE | SCHEDULE | RESULTS | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAP
The duo batted fearlessly and played some phenomenal cricket shots to put Punjab under pressure. Brevis shifted the gears in the 9th over and hammered four consecutive sixes to leg-spinner Rahul Chahar, sending the cricket fans into a state of meltdown.
He began the juggernaut with a boundary down the ground off the second delivery of the over. Off the next ball, came the first six that went over the bowler’s head as he played the shot in signature AB de Villiers style. Brevis smashed the next two over cow corner while the final hit went 112 metres away from over long-on. To everyone’s surprise, it’s now the longest six of the IPL 2022.
On the other hand, Rahul Chahar was left utterly disappointed as he conceded 29 runs off the over.
Let’s have a look at Dewald Brevis’ fireworks:
Soon after his sensational assault on Chahar, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, head coach Mahela Jayawardene, assistant coach Robin Singh, and captain Rohit Sharma made their way into the centre during the strategic time-out that followed soon after. Both Tendulkar and Jayawardene were smiling while talking to Brevis.
Brevis’ 49 and his partnership with Tilak Varma rescued Mumbai Indians from a precarious 32/2 in the chase of the target of 199 set by Punjab Kings. Though Mumbai Indians eventually fell short by 12 runs, Brevis’ clean hitting and the four stars gesture of appreciation will stay with the fans for a long time.
Brevis’ talent was never in doubt as he was a hot pick in the IPL Mega Auctions earlier in February 2022. Mumbai Indians got him for Rs 3 crore after the bidding started from the base price of Rs 20 lakh.
(With Agency Inputs)
Get all the latest updates on Cricket News, Cricket Photos, Cricket Videos, IPL 2022 Live Updates and Cricket Scores here