Senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has provided clarification on his remarks about the Chennai Super Kings’ acquisition of Dewald Brevis, claiming that his main focus was on the South African’s batting exploits rather than the reported price tag of the player midway through the 2025 IPL.
When Ashwin, who is currently with CSK, implied on his YouTube channel that the five-time IPL champions were prepared to pay “extra” to get Brevis’ services, a debate sprang out. According to reports, his remarks compelled the IPL team to provide an explanation.
“My intent in the old video was to talk about Brevis’ batting, not about his IPL signing amount. We have to understand that every player who plays in the IPL has a contract with the franchise and the tournament. The franchise and the IPL have a binding contract and if there is anything wrong, it won’t be ratified,” said Ashwin on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin used the phrase “special talent” to emphasize his argument about Brevis.
“Injury replacements are very common in the IPL. It is about how you go about the rule flexibility. That is the point. If you are a CSK and South Africa fan, then it is time to be extremely excited about Brevis. He is a special talent,” he added.
After Ashwin’s remarks regarding the signing garnered media attention, CSK released an explanation on Saturday. The South African batter’s signing was done in ” complete compliance with the rules and regulations” of the league, according to the team.
“Chennai Super Kings categorically clarifies that all actions taken by the franchise during the signing process of Dewald Brevis as a replacement player during TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 were in complete compliance with the rules and regulations of IPL,” CSK said in a statement.
“In April 2025, Dewald Brevis was signed for a league fee of INR 2.2 crore as a replacement player for the injured Gurjapneet Singh, who was picked up at the IPL 2025 Player Auction held at Abadi Al Johar Arena, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for a price of INR 2.2 crore,” the statement further added.
Ashwin went on to explain why he felt compelled to clarify his earlier remarks.
“In today’s time, there is a need to clarify the right things as well. There is no mistake by anyone; clarification on this matter has arisen from the fact that a lot of people have doubts. The fact is that no mistake has been made by the franchise, the player and the governing body,” Ashwin noted.
The former India spinner emphasized his stance once more on CSK’s “mind-boggling” move in signing Brevis.
“The way Brevis is batting, CSK has struck gold. The decision to bring him on board is very good. The franchise has struck gold during the purple patch of Dewald Brevis. He has been batting really well; he hits big sixes. Power-striker, monstrous hitter against spin,” he said.
