Dewald Brevis finally breaks silence on relentless outside pressure

As the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 gets closer, young South African star Dewald Brevis is keeping things very simple in his mind. While there is a lot of talk, pressure, and excitement around him, Dewald Brevis is not letting any of it affect his game.

Dewald Brevis's Formula: Simplicity Amidst Chaos

Brevis is currently playing in the SA20 2025-26 for the Pretoria Capitals and enjoying his time on the field. He feels that outside noise is always there, whether it is SA20 or a World Cup. The young explosive batter’s only aim is to enjoy his cricket and play the way he always has.

He was quoted as saying by NDTV: “It's always outside noise, whether you play SA20 or whatever you play. Whether it's the World Cup or whatever, it stays a cricket game, it stays a ball, a white ball, and whatever it is, I'm just going to enjoy it and just play how I always play. There's always outside noise. It doesn't affect me.”

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Dewald Brevis super excited for ICC T20 World Cup 2026

With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 set to begin on February 7 in India and Sri Lanka, excitement is building in the South African camp. Dewald Brevis believes that this is a great phase for the team, as the players are finding form and confidence and are excited for the showpiece event.

However, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) star is not thinking too far ahead, saying his current focus is on SA20, having fun with his teammates, and staying in the moment before the ICC T20 World Cup.

Dewald Brevis further noted, “I think it's great. It's exciting. If I look at everyone, there's form, and everyone's form is just building. But we focus on the now, and that's the S20, and we're having fun here. It's super exciting for the World Cup that's around the corner.”

Moving Past the 'Baby AB' Label

The "Baby AB" tag has followed Dewald Brevis since his teenage years, thanks to his audacious strokeplay reminiscent of the great South African batter AB de Villiers. But as he prepares for his first senior World Cup, the 22-year-old is aiming to create his own identity.

He considers the tag as a compliment, but he wants to make “contributing to the Proteas in my own way, on my own terms.” Brevis has already made a strong mark at the international level. He made his T20I debut against Australia in Durban in August 2023.

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Since then, the right-handed batter has played 19 T20 international matches and scored 469 runs at an excellent strike rate of 173.70. He is now an all-format player for South Africa, having already played 4 Tests and 9 ODIs.

Not to think too far ahead: Keshav Maharaj

Pretoria Capitals captain Keshav Maharaj recently spoke about his approach ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, as he is expected to lead the spin attack in the tournament. Even with the tournament just around the corner, Maharaj is not putting pressure on himself or the team.

At the moment, he is fully focused on leading Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 2025-26. The seasoned bowler also spoke about how unpredictable T20 cricket can be.

Maharaj stated, “Not to think too far ahead, but it's a wonderful opportunity for us to get match practice under our belt. We've only played one series in India now. So, it's a wonderful opportunity building up towards that.”

He signed off by saying, “Look at T20 cricket; sometimes you go for runs, sometimes you pick up wickets, and sometimes you are economical. You keep trusting your processes and keep working hard. Sometimes the wheel does turn, sometimes it doesn't. Unfortunately, that is life, but I was always in a positive frame of mind.”