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Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has heaped praise on young South African batter Dewald Brevis, widely known as “Baby AB,” drawing parallels with the legendary AB de Villiers.
Brevis, 22, has long carried the tag since his Under-19 days, but his recent exploits are now matching the hype.
In the second T20I against Australia, he smashed an unbeaten 125 off just 56 deliveries, laced with 12 fours and eight sixes, at a strike rate of 223. The innings lifted South Africa to 218 for 7 and sealed a 53-run victory.
That knock also propelled him up the ICC T20I rankings, where he jumped 80 spots to 21st with a career-best 614 rating points.
Speaking to Australian media, Glenn Maxwell acknowledged that while the nickname was flattering, it came with extra baggage.
“It’s a pretty heavy burden he had to bear early in his career. He probably got fast-tracked a little bit into the South African side,” said Maxwell.
“He’s gone away, worked on his game, and he’s come back playing beautifully. His bat swing is really pure; he’s hard to stop when he gets going.”
Notably, Dewald Brevis has been equally impressive in franchise cricket. After a quiet stint with the Mumbai Indians, he joined the Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2025 as an injury replacement for INR 2.2 crore.
He quickly made an impact, scoring 225 runs in six games at a strike rate of 180, including two half-centuries.
So far, Brevis has represented South Africa in two Tests and 10 T20Is. With his current form, he is now in strong contention for the upcoming ODI series against Australia, which begins on August 19.
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