When South Africa’s Dewald Brevis walked out to bat in Darwin on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, no one could have guessed they were about to see history. By the time he walked off, unbeaten on 125 from just 56 balls, cricket fans around the world were buzzing — and even Dale Steyn couldn’t hold back his excitement.
A Knock to Remember
The second T20I between South Africa and Australia had started on a shaky note for the visitors. They were 57 for 3 inside seven overs, and it looked like another long night for the Proteas.
Then Brevis took over.
Nicknamed “Baby AB” for his stroke-play that reminds fans of AB de Villiers, the 22-year-old launched a counter-attack that stunned the Aussies. His innings included 12 fours and 8 towering sixes, with a strike rate well over 200.
He reached his century in just 41 balls — the second-fastest by a South African in T20Is — and kept going to break Faf du Plessis’s record for the highest individual T20I score by a South African.
Records Tumbled in Darwin
Brevis’s 125* wasn’t just a personal milestone. Here’s what it meant in the bigger picture:
• Highest T20I score by a South African (beating du Plessis’s 119)
• Second-fastest T20I century for South Africa (behind David Miller’s 35-ball ton)
• Highest T20I score on Australian soil, surpassing Shane Watson’s 124
• Youngest South African (22) to hit a T20I hundred
South Africa posted 218 for 7 — their biggest T20I total against Australia — before bowling the hosts out for 165. The win ended Australia’s nine-match T20I winning streak and levelled the series 1–1.
Steyn Couldn’t Hold Back
Dale Steyn, one of South Africa’s greatest fast bowlers, was watching. Moments after the innings ended, he jumped onto X (formerly Twitter) and dropped what might be the most honest review of the night:
The unfiltered praise went viral, with fans loving how Steyn’s raw reaction matched the mood of the moment. It wasn’t just a compliment — it felt like a passing of the torch from one Proteas star to the next.
What This Means Going Forward
For Brevis, this could be the innings that defines the start of his international career. He’s long been seen as a talent with potential, but now he has a record-breaking performance to back it up.
For South Africa, it’s a reminder that their next generation can rise to the occasion — even against one of the strongest teams in the world, in their backyard.
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