South African teenager Dewald Brewis is expected to take IPL 2022 by storm.
'Baby AB' -- as Dewald has been nicknamed for his ability to play shots like his idol A B De Villiers -- was signed up by the Mumbai Indians for Rs 3 crore (Rs 30 million) at the mega auction.
Initially registered for a base price of Rs 20 lakh (Rs 2 million), the right-hand batter led to a bidding war between the Punjab Kings and the Chennai Super Kings. Then Mumbai Indians jumped in and made what we think was MI's best buy at the auction.
After landing in Mumbai, the 18 year old, in a video posted on MI's social media handles, noted: 'It is so inspiring. I have seen all of this also on Instagram, waiting in the lounges everywhere. Now to see this (referring to MI's five IPL trophies). Now I can't just wait to meet everyone and to play in front of you and to just be part of you. See you guys soon.'
Dewald was the highest scorer at the Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean. The Proteas colts didn't make it to the knockouts, but he amassed 506 runs in six games, including two hundreds and three half-centuries, to be named Player of the Tournament.
Fingers crossed, Dewald will have a better run at MI than the young South African the franchise signed up for IPL 2021.
Marco Jansen, then a 20 year old, got just two games in IPL 2021, bowled 6 overs in all and took 2 wickets for 45 runs.
Later that year, the 6' 8" all-rounder made a sensational debut in Test cricket. In just 5 Tests, he has already taken 28 wickets at an average of 20.35. Jansen's first Test wicket was his then MI team-mate Jasprit Bumrah, with whom he had a series of volatile exchanges during the India-South Africa series.
Jansen will turn out for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2022, and with South African bowling legend Dale Steyn as Sunrisers' bowling coach, should be one of the stars this season.
