MS Dhoni and CSK’s illegal tactics behind Dewald Brevis signing exposed by ex-India star
Published - 15 Aug 2025, 03:22 PM | Updated - 15 Aug 2025, 03:23 PM
Former India batter Aakash Chopra raised questions about Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) mid-season acquisition of Dewald Brevis in IPL 2025. The commentator stated that the Chennai team, led by MS Dhoni, might have exploited a loophole in the player replacement rules to secure the South African youngster.
The Super Kings signed Dewald Brevis as an injury replacement for Gurjapneet Singh during IPL 2025. Brevis had gone unsold in the auction despite a base price of ₹75 lakh. The 22-year-old was signed mid-season for ₹2.2 crore and scored 225 runs in six matches at an average of 37.5 with a strike rate of 180.
Is There a Loophole? - Aakash Chopra on CSK’s Dewald Brevis Signing
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra questioned whether IPL rules allowed CSK to pay Dewald Brevis more than the replacement fee. Chopra pointed out that Ravichandran Ashwin revealed Brevis requested a higher payment, raising concerns about breaching the team’s salary cap.
"The Chennai Super Kings' season was going absolutely ordinary. The batters weren't scoring runs, and people were getting injured. They needed mid-season replacements to either resurrect the season or prepare for the next season. In such a scenario, Dewald Brevis came and shone," Chopra said.
"He didn't play the first match, but after that, he batted extremely well and took an incredible catch on the boundary. Ashwin has disclosed that he asked for more money. Is there any provision to give him more money than he should have gotten officially? In such a case, can the purse limit be broken? Is there a loophole there, which Ashwin has highlighted?" he added.
Ashwin Says Dewald Brevis Asked for More Money - Aakash Chopra
In the same video, Aakash Chopra said that a replacement player’s salary should be between the base price and the original player’s salary. Chopra stated that if CSK agreed, it could be that the rules were breached.
"You get your total salary on a pro-rata basis. It cannot be lower than your base price. In Dewald Brevis' case, it couldn't have been lower than ₹75 lakh, and couldn't have been above ₹2.20 crore, the salary of Gurjapneet Singh," Chopra said.
"Ashwin is saying that players ask for more money, and according to him, the Chennai Super Kings agreed as well. Since Ashwin has said it, I believe Brevis would have asked for more money. In case you have given more than ₹2.20 crore, as it's a plan for next year, if there was a loophole, you have exploited it," he added.
Before IPL 2025, Brevis had limited experience in the league. He had played just 10 matches for the Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2022 and 2024 seasons.
Brevis Smashed Maiden International Century in Second T20I Against Australia
Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that several IPL franchises were interested in Dewald Brevis during IPL 2025, but the deals didn’t materialize as they weren’t willing to pay extra. Chennai Super Kings eventually secured him for a negotiated sum, but it’s unclear if it exceeded ₹2.20 crore.
Ashwin’s remarks came after Brevis scored a century in the second T20I against Australia. The right-handed batter reached his hundred in just 41 balls, marking the second-fastest T20I hundred and the highest score by a South African in the format.
Brevis finished unbeaten on 125 off 56 balls, helping South Africa post 218/7. The Proteas won the match by 53 runs, leveling the series 1-1, and Brevis will next play in the third and final T20I in Cairns on Saturday, August 16.
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