IPL 2026: Why is Dewald Brevis not playing today in CSK vs RR match?

The joint record holder five-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will start their journey in the IPL 2026 with the away game against Rajasthan Royals on Monday night (March 30). Before their tournament opener, under pressure CSK have suffered another big blow as South African youngster Dewald Brevis has also been ruled out of the tournament opener. 

CSK, who have the records of reaching Playoffs consistently, failed to finish on top four in the last two seasons, which happened for the first time. After finishing in fifth position in the 2024 edition, where they started as the defending champions, they finished in the last or 10th place in the 2025 edition, which was devastating for the most successful IPL franchise. 

Rajasthan Royals are ready to host CSK in their season opener, which will be hosted at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Monday night. Both teams will play their first game of the season, while CSK will miss several stars, including the 22-year-old Proteas cricketer Dewald Brevis. Brevis is currently injured, as he has a side strain, which is forcing him to miss the first two CSK games of the season. 

CSK facing players crisis before their IPL 2026 opener

Even before their first game of the season, Chennai Super Kings have huge injury issues. Australian pacer Nathan Ellis has already been ruled out of the season due to a hamstring injury, while another Australian Spencer Johnson has replaced him, who is also injured with a back stress fracture. In fact, Johnson is expected to join the franchise in late April. 

Meanwhile, the seven-time trophy-winning (five IPL and two Champions League T20) former CSK captain MS Dhoni has a calf strain, as the wicketkeeper-batter will be unavailable for some initial matches of the season. Also, the all-rounder Prashant Veer has a shoulder injury. Last day, the new star addition, former RR captain Sanju Samson didn't practice, while some fans feel that it can indicate another fitness issue, which they expect to be false news. 

See Also: Watch: Mahieka Sharma lashes out at media over Hardik Pandya’s son after MI vs KKR IPL 2026 match

Dewald Brevis: A crucial name for CSK for IPL 2026 

Brevis joined CSK last season as a replacement player for the injured Gurjapneet Singh. Despite playing only six games in the IPL 2025, Brevis scored 225 runs with an average of 37.50 and a strike rate of 180.00, including two half-centuries. The right-handed batter finished that season as the fourth leading run-scorer for his franchise. His stunning performance was the reason that the franchise retained him for the IPL 2026. 

While MS Dhoni is injured and there are no Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran in the squad, as both the all-rounders were traded out to the Rajasthan Royals, Brevis already had the crucial responsibilities for the franchise. So, Brevis' unavailability is a big blow for the CSK.