"I see this friendship as a gift from God" - Dewald Brevis on his bonding with Mumbai Indians star Tilak Varma

After Dewald Brevis' incredible run in the 2022 U19 World Cup, a number of teams were looking to snap him up in the IPL 2022 mega auction. He ultimately joined the Mumbai Indians (MI), who won the bidding war and bagged his services for INR 3 crores.

It was a big deal for the 19-year-old to join the star-studded side with a legendary think tank. MI have had a reputation over the years for nurturing youngsters and making them ready for the international level.

Speaking in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Dewald Brevis spoke about his overall experience playing for the five-time IPL champions and the team culture. He said:

"You can't ask for a better team environment. It is like being part of a big family. All the players and legends I worked with gave me small pieces of advice throughout the tournament. It helped me to become better mentally as well as technically."

Brevis has also made some great friends in the MI camp and his bond with fellow star Tilak Varma is arguably the strongest. The two teenagers got together really well and anecdotes about their banters became quite famous. Speaking about Varma, Brevis added:

"I have made one very special friend in Tilak Varma. I see this friendship as a gift from God. I will always treasure this friendship and keep it close to my heart. Tilak has always been there for me."

He went on to say:

"We support each other and both of us have a great sense of humor. We love to prank each other as well as other teammates. We shared a great time during long bus trips. The early morning and late-night Netflix that we watched was also special."

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Dewald Brevis on his and MI's future goals

Dewald Brevis showed flashes of brilliance in the seven games that he played for MI, scoring 161 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 142.48. But the youngster is keen to improve and one of the things he shed light on was the importance of converting his starts into big scores. He asserted:

"When there is good rhythm while batting, I want to identify when to take a single. That will help me get to the other end and build for a long inning but also at a higher tempo."

Although MI finished bottom of the table, Dewald Brevis revealed how important it was for them to win four out of their last six games and end the season with momentum. The South African believes the five-time champions have formed a great core for the future and will come back stronger next season.

Brevis added:

"I am excited for MI's future. We made great progress during the last six games. The team is full of experienced players that we as youngsters can learn from. There is a lot of talent in the youngsters and the team is already forming a strong bond."

The likes of Dewald Brevis, Varma and Tim David have the potential to become absolute world beaters and could carry forward MI's legacy over the next decade.