The five-time IPL-winning franchise sustained another blow before beginning its IPL 2026 campaign. After the injury of their former skipper, MS Dhoni, another batter is unlikely to play the first few matches of the season.
According to the latest reports, South Africa’s emerging batter, Dewald Brevis, is likely to miss the first two to three games due to a side strain injury. The report emerges on Sunday (March 29), ahead of CSK’s first match of the season.
Dewald Brevis is reportedly injured ahead of the CSK vs RR IPL 2026 match
The Chennai Super Kings are all set to play against the Rajasthan Royals on Monday at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. Official announcements are yet to come regarding the recent injury update.
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🚨BREAKING🚨
Dewald Brevis is likely to miss the first two to three games due to a side strain.#IPL2026
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) March 29, 2026
Why is Dewald Brevis important for the CSK batting combination?
The injury to Dewald Brevis can be a major blow for CSK as the South African batter is expected to be a starter in the batting line-up. Last season, the 22-year-old’s inclusion proved instantly effective for the team. In most parts of the IPL 2025, former IPL winners lacked firepower in their batting unit. Brevis provided the much-needed flame as a middle-order batter.
In IPL 2025, the right-handed batter scored 225 runs in 6 innings, averaging 37.50 for a whopping strike rate of 180.00. In those six innings, the batter registered a couple of half-centuries as well. Ahead of the IPL 2026 auction, the franchise retained the young prodigy as a mark of their trust in him.
Who can replace Brevis during the match against the Rajasthan Royals?
If Dewald Brevis remains unable to play the initial few matches with CSK, then the team management will have to make some changes in their tactics. It will be interesting to see the four overseas players in their playing combination against the Rajasthan Royals. The Impact Player rule will also play a crucial role in the management’s decision to set up a fine batting line-up. Jamie Overton, Zak Foulkes, and Matt Short will be the contenders to be in the playing XI.
Otherwise, the team can take a bet on uncapped Indian talents as well, as they have multiple young stars like Kartik Sharma, Urvil Patel, and Prashant Veer. MS Dhoni will also be absent from the match. So, the team management will have to fill up a couple of crucial spots for their opening game of the IPL 2026 season.
It is the third major injury concern for the Chennai Super Kings. Before the beginning of the tournament, Australian pacer Nathan Ellis was ruled out of the entire season with a hamstring injury. CSK named Spencer Johnson, another pacer, a like-for-like substitution. Despite multiple injury concerns, the team led by the captain, Ruturaj Gaikwad, will try its best to bounce back after sustaining a rare setback in the previous season, finishing 10th in the 1-team league.
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