IPL 2022: Baby AB excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar – South African U-19 all-rounder Dewald Brevis’ world has changed after his exploits during the U19 World Cup. The top scorer of the tournament was hailed as Baby AB for his uncanny similarities with AB de Villiers, prompting Mumbai Indians to shell out Rs 3 Crore during the IPL 2022 Auction. Now, he is very excited to meet his childhood idol Sachin Tendulkar, who is MI’s mentor. Follow IPL 2022 Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
“The way he played was always an inspiration to me. My favourite innings of his is the ODI double-century, which happened to be against South Africa! I remember watching the match with my brother – it was an amazing innings,” Dewald Brevis told Mumbai Indians in an interview.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
“I read his autobiography ‘Playing it My Way’ and there are a lot of things from there that I’d like to implement in my game. One thing I learnt from him is that you have to be humble because pride can be your downfall,” he added.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
The 18-year-old catapulted into global fame during scoring scored 506 runs – the most in a single edition of the tournament (surpassing Shikhar Dhawan’s 505 in 2004) and picked up seven wickets with his part-time leg-spin.
“We prepared well for the World Cup. Playing against senior provincial teams – it was a proper men vs boys game. What helped me in the World Cup was to keep it simple. I knew my game plan, I knew what I wanted to do and backed myself from the beginning,” Dewald Brevis said.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
“To share the crease with Sachin would have been insane!” 😍
When it comes to the love for the Master Blaster, Dewald Brevis is just like all of us! 💙
Read the exclusive interview 👉 https://t.co/rOabjNaTbV#OneFamily #MumbaiIndians @sachin_rt pic.twitter.com/5SSyHxV0S3
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 3, 2022
The wide-open stance, the half-crouch and the crisp shots bear a lot of resemblance to one of the legends of the game in AB de Villiers and Brevis is aptly nicknamed ‘Baby AB’. The moniker could be a double-edged sword but Brevis is clear about what he thinks of it.
“It is an honour to be compared to him, but it is important for me to have my own identity. I want to be known as Dewald Brevis,” Baby AB said.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
Like any South African kid harbouring dreams of becoming a cricketer, ABD is an inspiration to Brevis and while many of us can only imagine what it must be like to meet our heroes, the young Protea actually got an opportunity to meet him.
“We went to the same school and played under the same coach so when I first met him, I could not get a word out. There were many things I wanted to ask him but I was starstruck,” he remembered.
Since then, ABD has visited Brevis’ home and they have trained together and the now-retired pro has become somewhat of a mentor to Brevis.
“I would say he is great to learn from – he makes time for you and that is something I really appreciate. I mean, he is AB de Villiers and he could be a very different guy but he is very humble. I plan to ask him about his knowledge of the IPL soon,” said Brevis.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
Playing in the IPL is one of the best platforms a cricketer can ask for and being a part of MI is the icing on top of the cake for the teenager.
“I did not expect it at all. I was playing for the Titans in the CSA T20 challenge during the auction and my name literally came up in the middle of the game. I remember Quinton de Kock asking me to come up to the TV to watch what was happening,” said Brevis.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
“My parents were also really excited. They started crying in all that excitement because, we as a family, have followed the IPL and MI all through. My first memory of playing cricket was in our backyard and from replicating ‘IPL games’ there to actually playing for MI is a dream come true. It gives me a lot of confidence to be picked by the most successful IPL team and motivates me to add one more trophy to that cabinet.”
The teenager has also slowly built-up his knowledge of MI in recent months.
“MI has always been one of my favourite teams. We were in isolation before the U19 World Cup and I watched the Netflix documentary ‘Cricket Fever’. I can sense that familial feeling and how the players are one big family,” he explained.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
And Brevis is also looking forward to interacting with some of the many stars in the MI squad.
“I would love to share the dressing room with Rohit Sharma. He is a wonderful batter, smokes the bowlers and I have seen him rise through the ranks over the years. I am grateful that both Jofra Archer and Jasprit Bumrah are on the team. I think it will be tougher to face Bumrah, I have seen him bowl live at Supersport Park (in Centurion) for India against South Africa and it is surreal that I will be facing him in the nets soon,” concluded Brevis.
It has been a swift rise to the pinnacle of cricket for Dewald Brevis and he could be the latest MI youngster to become a cricketer of fearsome reputation.
IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ ‘Baby AB’ Dewald Brevis very excited to meet idol Sachin Tendulkar during IPL
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