Cricket
Dewald Brevis Credits Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma for Career Development
South African cricketer Dewald Brevis credits Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma for shaping his career through the Indian Premier League, where he gained valuable experience with Mumbai Indians.
Image Credits: PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images
Having been part of the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League as a teenager, Dewald Brevis praised the role that the league and his teammates have played in his career.
The Sachin Tendulkar & Rohit Sharma Impact
When it comes to the impact of the rise and domination of franchise T20 leagues, there are two sides of the coin.
The negative side to this lucrative industry is that at times these leagues tend to take precedence over international cricket.
At times, players are left with an unfair choice to make, to either financially secure a bright future for themselves and their families that is going to last beyond their playing days or to represent their countries and thereby settle for a significantly less purse.
The positive side to the existence of these leagues is that they have unearthed an exciting group of talented cricketers, a group that the world might never have had the chance to witness in full flow without T20 cricket.
The biggest of all the leagues, the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been a talent producing machine not only for Indian cricket but for other countries as well.
South Africa's Dewald Brevis, a 21-year-old top-order batter and wrist-spinner, is one of those exciting young talents that the IPL has put on the map.
As a Mumbai Indians player, one of the most successful franchises in the league, Brevis's development has been accelerated as he shares the changeroom with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah to name a few.
With such big names surrounding the youngster and given that the great Sachin Tendulkar is part of the Mumbai Indians backroom staff as well, Brevis has soaked in more knowledge than most of his peers back in South Africa.
In an exclusive interview with SportsBoom.com, Brevis has showered everyone at Mumbai Indians and in the Indian Premier League with praise for playing a role in his development.
"There's so much information in the Indian Premier League, it's unbelievable," the 21-year-old said.
"Sachin (Tendulkar), I've spent a lot of time with him on and off the field. We speak a lot about how he went about his career so I could be able to learn from him about techniques and the mental side of the game. All that has played a big part in me being where I am now in my career.”
Also, guys such as Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and all these big names that are in the Mumbai Indians team, dominate international cricket. So, for me, it's about learning from them but also knowing that I am Dewald, and I am my own player.
Dewald Brevis
Learning at the Highest Level
In so many ways, the Indian Premier League is the biggest tournament in the world. It is so big that some of the most experienced cricketers in the world crumble under the pressure of the expectations that come with playing in such a league.
The often-packed stadiums coupled with the intense media coverage force some of the finest talents to play within themselves as the pressure gets to them.
However, there are some young cricketers who have responded well to all the pressure and Brevis is one of them. Having debuted in the league as a 19-year-old, Brevis had to learn about his game at the highest level.
"I had to learn my game at the highest level. If you think about it, the Indian Premier League is the biggest stage in the world because you face the world's best bowlers such as Jasprit Bumrah and many others," he said.
"That's where I had to figure out my game and it's not easy because you're always in the spotlight but at the same time it's a great privilege," he added.
Brevis is currently competing in the South Africa A versus Sri Lanka A series in South Africa.
Ongama Gcwabe is an experienced Sports Journalist based in South Africa. In his career, Ongama’s work has been published in the country’s biggest newspapers company, Independe Newspapers, and some of the leading news and sports websites including IOL Sport.