Chennai Super Kings have had another injury setback ahead of IPL 2026, with Dewald Brevis ruled out of their opening match against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30 due to a side strain. Head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed the development on the eve of the game, adding to a growing list of early season injury concerns.
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Brevis is expected to miss the first two to three games, leaving a gap in CSK’s middle order. Retained for INR 2.20 crore after an impressive IPL 2025 campaign, the South African batsman scored 225 runs in six matches at an average of 37.50 and a strike rate of 180, including two half-centuries.
CSK no longer has fast bowler Nathan Ellis, who was sidelined for the entire season by injury. Veteran batsman MS Dhoni will also miss the first two weeks calf stretching tournaments.
The franchise named Spencer Johnson as Ellis’ replacement, but the left-arm paceman is still recovering from an injury and isn’t expected to join the team until around the 21st-23rd. April.
Brevis recently featured for the South Africa national cricket team in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he scored 207 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 146.80. South Africa were eliminated in the semi-finals by the New Zealand national cricket team.
After finishing bottom of the table in 2025 with four wins, CSK head into the new season looking to reset, but early injuries have hampered their start.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
29 March 2026 20:07 IST
