Brevis credits friend Tilak and coach Mahela Jayawardene for stellar 57-run knock
By MI New York Media
57 runs. 41 balls. Four fours. Three sixes. It started with a bit of caution after having lost two early wickets. It went onto a watchful counter-attack. And in the end, it was some monster hitting. Dewald Brevis, after lighting up the big stage, was at the post-match-press conference, hitting a few questions out of the park. Excerpts ..
Thoughts on his approach during the innings
To be honest, I just told myself to be calm and be myself always. I just want to mention Mahela Jayawardene, he had a chat with me a few days ago and he asked me to have a suble moment with my trigger. When that came off I was smiling and I felt good out there. The wicket was interesting, but if you just focused to play straight, it worked out.
On performing at the big stage
Everything worked out. You always want to play to contribute, but you wait for your opportunity and everything works. To be able to come back and contribute for the team, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
On having the franchise’s backing even off the field
It is very important to have the backing of the franchise and to represent them in the IPL, the SA20 and now this. I didn’t want to be in another shirt. Such an amazing feeling to be able to contribute for your team. I have to mention my friend, Tilak (Varma), he is somewhere in Barbados now. He always tells me, when he plays, he’s going to win the next game. Always important to enjoy and give as much as you can so that you can put in a nice performance for your team.
The atmosphere and the reception to cricket in USA
I love it in America. It has been great. Have enjoyed off the field too. It is a beautiful country and has a lot to offer. When the sun starts to set, it is a great atmosphere, has a great vibe and is one of the finest fields to play in. I hope all of America picks it up because I think cricket is much better than baseball and much more entertaining.
Thoughts on the next game
I won’t make any assumptions of tomorrow. We just have to stay in the moment. Things can change and you just play the ball. You can just give your best and look to make the best out of every single ball.
On how the team decided the par score today
A game of T20 is going to change all the time. You just have to be positive and look to attack. You have to adapt. You and your partner out there have to speak to each other. And then it is your thoughts by yourself when you are at the other side. I am always in the moment. The players have chats at time-outs. We left a lot of runs out there today. We could have added 20 more runs easily.
On the influence of AB de Villiers in his game
He has always been my role model growing up. We have had good chats growing up. We speak on WhatsApp and he really just helps me on the mental side. I see a lot of his videos on how he goes about his batting. I am a visual learner and I like to see his bat swings. You then develop by yourself. To listen to how he went about things really helps. He gives small little inputs on how I need to develop myself. He just wants to put me in the right direction basically.
LATEST
“It’s a tough pill to swallow”
It’s never easy knowing 266 wasn’t enough on the day. A record 29 sixes were hit by MI New York – the most ever in a T20 innings. On nights like these when lightning strikes twice, you don’t fight the powers. You just accept it wasn’t out night.“It’s a tough pill to swallow,” said Mark Boucher at the post-match press conference. “I think this ground is very small. In the beginning stages of the tournament, the wickets weren’t as good as they are now. It made bowling extremely tough. The dew factor at the backend of the game made bowling extremely tough for the bowlers and the fielders. But in saying that, we had our chances. If we had taken those chances, we could have built a bit of pressure. We knew when we scored our total, on a pitch that is good and small boundaries, if there was one team that could chase this down, it was these guys.”MI New York’s MLC 2026 campaign might have come to an end, but it was eventful and certainly memorable. We gained momentum and peaked at the right time, with all parts of the puzzle seemingly falling in place. “The one area where we’ve struggled throughout the tournament has been our batting. We haven’t got any flow in our batting in the tournament. Coming into the game today, even though we lost the last game, I thought there was something going there. Nicky’s (Pooran) knock was fantastic. Quinny (de Kock) got us off to a good start as well. Polly coming in. We put on a really good score and our batters did really well. In the middle stages of the tournament, our bowlers really kept us in the tournament,” he said. Whether it was Kieron Pollard pulling out matches from the dead, something he’s done for the Blue and Gold for over 17 years now, or whether it was Tajinder Dhillon’s cameos, or Rushil Ugarkar’s large-hearted bowling, Quinton de Kock’s typically Quinny-like starts, or a record-breaking final flourish, there certainly has been enough for us to celebrate. Let’s give it some time. When the disappointment withers, what will remain is pride, the pride we have in this side. This is MI city, this is MI team, we are MI New York. 17 Jul, 2026Celebrating a 106(33), that is enough on most days…
…Sadly, this wasn’t one of those. But when the dust settles and the disappointment of seeing a massive total being overhauled dies down, we’ll the pride in this MONSTER NICHOLAS POORAN knock. He loves these knockout games in the MLC, doesn’t he! Against the Washington Freedom in the Eliminator, he wasted no time settling in. The first ball was a single. Ball 2: SIXBall 3: SIXBall 4: SIXBall 5: FOURThis was followed by another 6, 4, 0, 6, 6, 6 to bring up his fifty off just 14 balls. None of them were mishits in any sense. Reading the bowling to perfection, he was happy to step out and go over long-off, pull away the short stuff, tonk them down the ground, cut them through point. Just peak, beast mode. He wasn’t backing down. Against Nikhil Chaudhary’s off-spin, he kept the fifth gear going. 6, 4, 1, 0, 4, 6, 4, 6 across two overs, and he had the fastest MLC century, off just 31 balls. He fell immediately after. All this inside the 12th over. Sheer madness was on display. Again, it might get forgotten given what happened in the second innings and how Washington chased down a mammoth total, but it was a knock for the ages nevertheless. Nicky P has added another feather that sits alongside his iconic 137* from 2023!16 Jul, 2026The Eliminator report: Crazy game, but ends in heartbreak :(
266 runs chased down. 51 sixes hit in the game. It’s probably a once in a lifetime moment, and the partnership of 241 runs in just 89 balls between Steven Smith and Andries Gous was again one of those, seen now, might never be seen again moments. Alas, it came against us in the Eliminator. A crazy game, but on the wrong side of the result.. Nicholas Pooran: 106 (33)“It wasn’t meant to be,” our skipper said at the post-match presentation. But his knock deserves all the appreciation. Five fours, 13 sixes, and a century off just 31 balls. It was peak Nicky P. Beast Nicky P. He was just unstoppable, smashing everything around for fun. Imagine a 24-ball 51 by Quinton de Kock felt like second fiddle! And then Polly goes wild!Pooran came, smashed, and was done by the 12th over. Kieron Pollard took it upon himself to carry the baton forward. With a 25-ball 64, he kept the shots coming, the sixes flowing, and ensured MINY finished strong. The final 266/9 came via Trent Boult and his 10-ball 22. That Smith-Gous stand On most days, a target of 267 is daunting enough. But lightning struck twice, first in the form of Pooran’s brilliant century, and then with Gous’ 51-ball 132 and Smith’s 48-ball 110. They rode their luck, but it just felt written in the stars. Ruing the missed chances 9.4: Smith gets a life 10.1: Smith gets put down again 10.6: Now Gous is dropped11.5: Both the bowler and the keeper miss a run-out chance In 13 balls, with four chances gone down, the signs were clear. It simply wasn’t our day. The batters then switched gears and went on a rampage, with 29 runs coming off the 13th over, 21 off the 14th and 31 off the 15th, virtually killing the game. This is where it ends. 2026 wasn’t to be. It’s a tough one to swallow. But once the dust settles, we’ll look back at how heartwarming this season has been with new heroes stepping up, older ones turning back the clock, and wins pulled off from nowhere. 15 Jul, 2026
