The five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), kickstart their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 campaign as they take on the inaugural champions, Rajasthan Royals (RR), in the third game of the 19th season. The two teams, which finished in the bottom two spots in IPL 2025, will look to overturn their last results but have some issues as they begin their season.
Dewald Brevis to miss RR vs CSK
The Yellow Army, which boasts a well-balanced blend of experience and youth, have been handed massive blows ahead of their opener. While the side will be without veteran wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni, who is recovering from a calf strain, they will also miss South African firepower – Dewald Brevis.
Brevis will miss their game against RR, as he sustained a side injury during training. CSK head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed his absence. “Brevis is out. He had a side injury during training. He is rehabbing. Hopefully won’t be for too long,” he said before the match.
CSK Playing XI vs RR
At the toss, CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad confirmed that Brevis won’t play and Australia’s Matthew Short will take his place at number four for the time being.
Sanju Samson (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, Matthew Short✈️, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton✈️, Noor Ahmad✈️, Matt Henry✈️, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Subs: Sarfaraz Khan, Prashant Veer, Rahul Chahar, Gurjapneet Singh, Ramakrishna Ghosh
Dewald Brevis’ stint with CSK
Notably, Brevis joined CSK as a replacement for injured Gurjapneet Singh in IPL 2025. The Protean played 6 matches in the 2025 season and scored 225 runs, striking at the rate of 180.43. Brevis was then retained by the Super Kings ahead of the IPL 2026 mini-auction. Before representing CSK, Brevis was part of the Mumbai Indians (MI), for whom he played 10 matches from 2022 to 2024.
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