Dewald Brevis says one of the most impactful lessons he ever received from MS Dhoni came early in his IPL life—before he even set foot in the Chennai Super Kings dressing room. The South African batter arrived in the competition with sky-high expectations and was frequently measured against AB de Villiers, leaving him under a microscope from the start of his franchise career.
Brevis’s initial IPL chapter with Mumbai Indians didn’t unfold the way many had hoped. He played 10 matches and amassed 230 runs, but he couldn’t reach a half-century, and the 20-year-old struggled to turn promising starts into major innings during that stretch.
After that period, Brevis took on a new opportunity when he joined the CSK squad in IPL 2025 as a replacement for the injured Gurjapneet Singh. The change of environment has helped him settle down, with his confidence growing and his role in the five-time champions’ setup becoming more defined. Over time, he has displayed more maturity and steadier output, fitting into CSK’s rhythm and standards.
Dhoni’s message on confidence
The Proteas star also explained that Dhoni’s guidance remains central to how he approaches the game. He recalled that the advice was delivered during his first IPL year, even though he wasn’t yet part of Chennai at that point. The takeaway, he said, was to distinguish between genuine confidence and overconfidence at the highest level.
- Brevis traced Dhoni’s counsel back to his first season in the IPL.
- He said Dhoni told him that a player can slip into overconfidence, so the key is to stay firmly on the side of confidence.
- Brevis added that this single point has stayed with him and continues to shape his mindset.
“One of the best advices I got from MS (Dhoni) was my first year actually of IPL,” Brevis said. “I wasn’t yet at Chennai, but he told me, ‘You get two sides—you get overconfidence and confidence, and just be more on the side of confidence.’ And that’s been the one piece of advice that really stuck with me from him.”
Learning by watching Dhoni
Brevis also spoke about what it means to learn from Dhoni up close. He described how observing the former India captain in daily professional settings has been eye-opening, not only for his cricketing knowledge but also for his character. Brevis highlighted Dhoni’s humility, consistency, and the way he carries himself both during match days and away from the field.
“Whenever I’ve been in the environment where he is and just seeing how he does his things and the way he lives, the person he is, he’s just being himself, and that’s really amazing to see,” Brevis said. “And also how humble he is and the way he carries himself. Whenever he’s on the field or off the field, I’ve seen both of that, and it’s just to look up to. I really love the way he is in that way. He’s got so much knowledge. He’s been in so many different situations, he’s played so many different knocks and amazing knocks, and it’s just learning from him just by watching sometimes.”
