MI's 'Project Brevis' reaches American checkpoint

There was an air of anticipation around the cricket world, right from the moment Mumbai Indians snapped up Dewald Brevis for USD 375,000 ahead of IPL 2022, hitherto unseen price for an U19 cricketer. He sparkled briefly, especially when he whacked four humongous sixes off Rahul Chahar in as many balls. But mostly, he flattered to deceive. Apart from his takedown of Chahar, Brevis did little of note, managing a paltry 161 in 7 outings.

He was confined to carrying drinks the entire 2023 IPL season mostly due to MI's combination conundrum in the wake of their injury troubles in the bowling ranks. He confides to it being a challenging time being away from action and unable to contribute to the team's cause. However, he believes the time on the sidelines was an opportunity to work on ways to stay a step ahead of the opposition.

"It's tough dealing with your emotions when you are not playing. It can be tough. But I worked on a lot of things with coach Mark Boucher. It's been a year for me playing at a higher level, if the opposition analyzes me as a batsman, it's important to have a few tricks up my sleeve to foil their plans" Brevis tells Cricbuzz.

Despite the lack of game time at IPL, MI hinge their bets heavily on the 20-year-old. After an indifferent IPL season, Brevis was among MI Cape Town's pre-auction signings. He was even part of MI's emerging player development tour of England as the only overseas player of the squad.

"It feels like my blood feels blue, the way I've been taken care of, it's a big thing for me. The MI family makes me feel like I belong. They backed me at a very young age after the under-19 World Cup and gave me a platform. And I'll always be grateful to that. I'll always be true to that. So, I'll run through a wall for them. And the bond is very special" added Brevis

After an early setback to his career, Robin Peterson, the head coach at MI New York and the team manager at MI Cape Town, feels there is a palpable change over the last twelve months in the way that Brevis approaches his game.

"I think at the U19 level because he was so much better than everybody else that he could just thrive on talent and instinct. He didn't need to think too much. He could just play and intimidate opponents at his age group level. The minute he went up, he was competing with men basically as a schoolboy," said Peterson

"Now he talks a lot about visualization around his game. His recovery and getting his body ready to perform at its optimum. He understands part of your mental prep is understanding the opposition, you coming up against the conditions you are playing in, how they may try and combat you. These are conversations that he has on a regular basis which he might not have had a year ago."

Brevis came under the tutelage of Hashim Amla at MI Cape Town. At this young age Brevis makes no qualms about his desire to be the best batsman in the world. Amla channelized that desire into hunger for big runs. And the thinktank at MI know the big runs come invariably at the top of the order. Just as he exhibited during his momentous knock of 162 in 55 balls in SA's domestic T20, Brevis is a runaway match winner on his day. A force of nature when completely unleashed. MI Cape Town opened with him and in all likelihood will open for MI New York too.

MI has a knack of shaping young careers and having them graduate to international honours. Brevis' great friend and MI team mate Tilak Varma has just been named in the Indian T20I and deep down Brevis knows it as well that his Protea cap is a matter of when, not if. He is aware about the clamour for his selection from different stakeholders in South African cricket but as he likes to put it, he likes to stay in the moment and leave it up to the powers above.

"I think just believing it and just that there is a big plan for me in my cricket journey, and I trust in that. There's a saying in the Bible, where it says that your journey is already planned, and you don't have to worry about it every single day, it will happen at the right time. Don't rush it. So, it's going to happen at a certain time. Like God's timing is always better."

Brevis' belief in spirituality belies his age. Few know he's consecrated his match shoes with an inscription reading "All glory to Jesus". When you live your life in the fast lane, in the face of all the razzmatazz surrounding elite sport it's imperative to stay grounded. He has the right ingredients and the shoes for that.

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