Dewald Brevis impressed in his maiden IPL season where he turned out for Mumbai Indians. Although he only played in seven matches but the 19-year-old showed glimpses of his big-hitting abilities as he scored 186 runs at a stunning strike-rate of 216.27.
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Brevis had a memorable experience rubbing shoulders with some of the finest cricketers of the modern era. He also got to meet his idol Sachin Tendulkar and in an interview with Cricket Fanatics on their YouTube channel, the youngster threw light on his first ever meeting with the batting legend.
“I was laying on the floor of the gym and suddenly Sachin sir appeared at the door. I didn’t know what to do and the first time I shook his hand, it was insane. I have idolised him and the small technical details he taught me were special. It was great to learn from legends like him and coach Mahela,” Brevis said.
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Brevis did admit to be under some pressure when playing for MI but he said it only motivates him to do better. “It was very special to meet Rohit, Ishan, and the whole team when I finished quarantine. Of course, my debut was a special memory, playing in front of so many people. The louder it gets, the higher the pressure gets and I love that. The pressure to perform for MI is good because it motivates you to get another trophy for the team,” he said.
During his stint, Brevis also struck a close friendship with fellow rookie Tilak Varma who was also making his IPL debut and scored 397 runs – the second most for the franchise – during the season.
“I am missing Tilak, he is a great friend, we still keep chatting with each other. He is just a year older to me and there is so much to learn from him. Tilak is a prankster and I am already planning how to get back at him next year. I have taught him some Afrikaans and he taught me a bit of Hindi, I would really like to speak in Hindi too,” Brevis recalled.
MI though had a season to forget as they finished last among the 10 teams. Brevis said it was a learning experience to see how the team reacted to the defeats and stuck to the process.
“The eight losses was tough but the team was always positive. We stayed true to the process and we came together as a team in the final six matches, we played it as a mini Tata IPL. It was great to see how the results moulded the team and it is a big positive to carry forward for next season,” he said.
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