New Delhi: Former Indian spinner R Ashwin has clarified the air around his recent comments on Dewald Brevis’ signing by Chennai Super Kings, making it clear that he was speaking about the youngster’s batting skills and not on the money involved in the deal.
The confusion began after Ashwin mentioned on his YouTube channel that CSK were ready to spend “extra” to secure Brevis midway through IPL 2025. The comment sparked speculation over the signing process, forcing the franchise to issue a clarification of its own.
In his latest video, he said his words were taken out of context. “My intent in the old video was to talk about Brevis’ batting, not about his IPL signing amount,” he explained. “Every player who features in the IPL signs a binding contract with both the franchise and the tournament. If there was anything wrong in the signing, it simply wouldn’t be ratified.”
He infact described Brevis as a “special talent” and insisted that fans should be excited about what the South African brings to the table. “Injury replacements are very common in the IPL. It’s about understanding how the rules allow flexibility. If you are a CSK fan and South African fan then you should be extremely excited. He is a special player,” he added.
CSK issues official statement
Amid the growing debate, CSK also issued official clarification earlier stressing that Brevis’ signing was fully compliant with IPL regulations. The franchise said, “Chennai Super Kings categorically clarifies that all actions taken by the franchise during the signing process of Dewald Brevis as a Replacement Player during TATA IPL 2025 were in complete compliance with the rules and regulations.”
The statement even went on to confirm that Brevis was signed in April 2025 for INR 2.2 crore as a replacement for the injured Gurjapneet Singh, who was originally bought for the same amount during the player auction in Jeddah.
Praise for Brevis’ purple patch
Ashwin stressed that his remarks should be seen as appreciation of Brevis’ talent rather than any commentary on financials. “In today’s time, there is a need to clarify the right things as well. No mistake has been made by the franchise, the player, or the governing body,” he said.
He then turned his focus back to Brevis’ performances, calling his batting “mind boggling” and applauding CSK for striking at the right time. Ashwin said, “The way Brevis is batting, CSK has struck gold. He is in a purple patch, hitting monstrous sixes and dominating spin. The decision to bring him in has been spot on.”