Ravichandran Ashwin Issues Clarification Following CSK's Statement on Brevis Signing

R. Ashwin has clarified his earlier remark about CSK signing Dewald Brevis, after the franchise issued a statement regarding his inclusion as a replacement player during the IPL 2025 season. Brevis was brought in to replace the injured Gurjapneet Singh and had an impressive stint with the five-time IPL champions. He scored 225 runs in six matches boasting a strike rate of 180.

Ashwin sparked some controversy with his recent comments about CSK’s signing of Dewald Brevis. His remark that CSK paid "extra" for Brevis was taken out of context leading to speculation that the franchise had paid more than the allotted 2.2 crore rupees for him. However, CSK clarified the situation with a statement on August 16 confirming that this was not the case and putting the rumors to rest.

On his YouTube channel, Ashwin explained that he was simply stating the facts and that his comments about CSK signing Brevis were blown out of proportion. He clarified that if there had been anything wrong with the move, the IPL would have blocked it. Ashwin added that the intention behind his previous video was to discuss Brevis' current form not to suggest anything untoward about the signing.

“We live in such times where we have to clarify even true stories. In that way, it is a bit tricky. But I won’t go there. There is no one at fault here. The clarification here on this matter has arisen from the fact that a lot of people have doubts. The point is the player is not at fault, the franchise is not at fault, and maybe the governing body is also not at fault. All of us need to understand that if a franchise needs a player, the franchise talks to the player or the player’s agent and tells the BCCI, ‘Look, so-and-so player of ours is injured; we need another player. ’ The matter gets closed there,” Ashwin said on Ash ki Baat.

“The IPL, or those who need to give approval, give the approval, and the player comes and plays. If there was any fault here, that player would not have played in the franchise. This is not about Brevis; it is generally the case. There is one other thing I want to explain. My intention in the video was to describe how well Brevis was batting. We have to understand that every player who plays in the IPL has a tri-parted contract: the player, the franchise, and the IPL have a binding contract.” Ashwin added.

Ashwin highlighted that CSK isn’t the first team to use the injury replacement option. He mentioned Chris Gayle, widely regarded as one of the greatest IPL batters of all time, who joined RCB as an injury replacement and ended up playing for them for nearly a decade.

“So, if something is wrong with it, it won’t get ratified. That is why, probably, the tweet that said clause so-and-so makes complete sense. The flexibility that is there with the IPL’s injury replacement, everyone is making use of it. It is not only CSK who have picked a replacement; there have been several other teams. RCB have taken Chris Gayle in the past, and he became a superstar. Injury replacements are a common facet of the IPL, and even in that, the rule flexibility that you have, how you make use of that, within the limit, you can use it. That is the point,” Ashwin added.

Putting the controversy behind him, Ashwin praised Dewаld Brevis for his recent brilliant form, especially during the Australia vs South Africа series, which has garnered widespread attention. He commended CSK for making а smart move by signing the 22-year-old, cаlling it a "strike of gold," аnd applauded the management for their decision.

"I watch a lot more cricket. I don’t pay too much attention to these things (on the Brevis-CSK controversy). Nowadays, we make YouTube videos and we give our opinion in these videos. The ones who watch the videos don’t tend to do anything out of the ordinary. The ones who don’t watch the videos can read the statement and twist the story. Unfortunately, in today’s times, folks can watch smaller videos, read shorter headlines. There is nothing wrong there. Dewald Brevis is a fabulous player, and the way he is batting, CSK has struck gold. Whoever has made the decision, they have taken a fabulous decision," said Ashwin.

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