Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, who has taken over as head coach of the Pretoria Capitals, made headlines during the SA20 2025 auction on Tuesday by securing the services of South Africa’s young batting
sensation Dewald Brevis for a record fee of 16.5 million rand (₹8.31 crore).
Ganguly, who outbid Stephen Fleming’s Joburg Super Kings in a dramatic auction tussle, cheekily admitted that the move was also about getting one back on his old rival from the field.
Hemang Badani couldn’t…
Ganguly just did it like a Boss. 😎Dewald Brevis to Capitals!pic.twitter.com/89916jjgm1
— Jyotirmay Das (@dasjy0tirmay) September 9, 2025
“You know, he got me out too many times when he was captain and we went to New Zealand,” Ganguly said with a grin.
“On the green, seaming pitches, he had fielders all over, and they kept decking around all the time. So this was an opportunity to beat him, and we went past him.”
Capitals Win Brevis After Fierce Bidding War
The auction saw one of its most intense battles when Fleming, also the coach of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, went all in to bring Brevis to Joburg. His counterpart Kumar Sangakkara, coaching the Paarl Royals, was also in the fray.
The Royals bowed out at the 10 million rand mark, leaving Fleming in pole position. Just when it looked like Joburg had their man, Ganguly intervened, pushing the price higher and eventually clinching Brevis for the Capitals at a league-record sum.
Brevis: A Star on the Rise
Nicknamed “Baby AB” for his stroke-making reminiscent of AB de Villiers, Brevis has been one of the most exciting young cricketers to emerge from South Africa in recent years.
He was previously part of MI Cape Town since the league’s launch in 2023, scoring 676 runs in 32 matches at a strike rate of 145+, with four fifties.
During the franchise’s maiden title win last season, Brevis had a breakout year: 291 runs in 10 games at an average of 48.50 and a strike rate of 184.17.
In 2025, he has been in red-hot T20 form, amassing 995 runs in 30 innings at an average of 43.26 and an explosive strike rate of 186, including a century and six half-centuries.
His IPL campaign with Chennai Super Kings also stood out in an otherwise disappointing season for the five-time champions. Brevis scored 225 runs in six games at an average of 37.50 and a strike rate of 180.00, with two fifties.
