Chennai – Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming believes Dewald Brevis is “not far away” from full fitness and hopes the South African batter will be available for the home meeting with Delhi Capitals on 11 April.
“We hope he is going to be right for the next game,” Fleming said during Sunday’s fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. “We have five days between the next game. We have been conservative and hopefully, these next five days go as well as we have planned, and he is ready to go. It’s a big loss but we are looking forward to getting him back.”
Brevis has sat out Super Kings’ opening three matches after picking up a side strain in pre-season. With a rare five-day gap before CSK face Delhi, the medical staff believe the extra breathing space may tip the balance.
On match day in Bengaluru, Brevis batted for roughly 20 minutes against throw-downs from assistant coach Rajiv Kumar. Most deliveries were defended rather than bludgeoned, yet there was no obvious discomfort. Afterwards he joined a casual game of football with team-mates, another gentle sign the strain has eased.
Similar light sessions took place in the lead-up to the Punjab Kings fixture at Chepauk: throw-downs in the side nets on the eve of the game, then a short fielding drill on match day. Nothing rushed, everything cautious.
CSK signed Brevis as an injury replacement midway through the 2025 season and, despite that campaign ending in disappointment, his contribution was eye-catching: 225 runs from six innings at a strike-rate of 180, including 17 sixes from just 125 balls. Unsurprisingly the franchise retained him for 2026, pencilling him into the middle order once fit.
Without him, team balance has been awkward. The Kings match saw only two overseas players named; the RCB game, three. After finishing bottom last year and starting this season with back-to-back defeats, CSK can ill-afford further disruption, yet Fleming will not gamble with a player he considers a long-term asset.
Side strains are tricky – batters twist, bowlers twist, and even a mild pull can linger if pushed. For now, the Super Kings have chosen patience over risk. If the next five days unfold as planned, Brevis should walk straight back into the XI, probably at No. 4, freeing the rest of the batting order to settle.
For Chennai supporters, that will feel overdue. For Brevis, it will simply be a relief to swap throw-downs for the real thing.
