CSK’s mid-season signing of Dewald Brevis, once hailed as a masterstroke, is now at the centre of a fresh debate over IPL’s replacement rules.
Drafted in as an injury replacement for Gurjapneet Singh — who was originally signed for Rs 2.2 crore — Brevis made an instant impact. Despite joining late, he smashed 225 runs in just six matches at a blistering strike rate of nearly 180.
However, his signing has now stirred up a debate. Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently suggested that CSK may have gone “beyond the base price” to secure Brevis, beating competition from other interested franchises. Brevis’ listed base price was Rs 75 lakh.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin explained, “Let me tell you something about Brevis. He had a great stint with CSK in the last IPL. In fact, a few teams were talking to him. Some backed out because of the price. When you're signing a player as a replacement, you're supposed to sign him at the base price. But agents get involved, and the player might say, ‘If you give me X amount extra, I'll join.’”
“That happens because the player knows that if he's released next season, he might go for big money. So his thought process was — ‘Pay me well now, or I'll get more next year.’ CSK agreed to the terms, and that's how he joined. In the second half of the season, CSK's combination was strong. They'll now head into the IPL 2026 mini-auction with Rs 30 crore in their purse,” Ashwin added.
Shortly after his remarks gained traction, CSK issued an official clarification, stressing their compliance with IPL rules, “Chennai Super Kings categorically clarifies that all actions taken by the franchise during the signing process of Dewald Brevis as a Replacement Player during the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 were in complete compliance with the rules and regulations of the IPL.”
According to IPL guidelines, the fee for a replacement cannot exceed that of the injured player being replaced. Since Gurjapneet Singh’s contract was worth Rs 2.2 crore, any higher payment to Brevis would technically constitute a breach — something CSK has strongly denied.