The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) social media team seems to have stirred a new storm online. During Dewald Brevis’ birthday celebration, CSK posted a cheerful picture on X but what caught fans’ eyes was not the cake or the smiles.
It was who wasn’t in the frame. Gurjapneet Singh, the bowler ruled out earlier due to injury, appeared in an earlier clip celebrating alongside teammates, but when CSK shared the photo, he was mysteriously cropped out.
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That little “edit” was enough to set IPL fans buzzing, especially given the recent questions around Gurjapneet’s injury status and Brevis’ entry as his replacement.
Why did CSK crop Gurjapneet Singh from Brevis’ birthday photo?
The post on X, captioned “Brevis Birthday bash mode: Activated!,” looked like a normal team moment until fans began comparing it to the full video from the same event.
In the original clip, Gurjapneet was seen joining the celebrations. But in the official CSK post, he was missing.
The timing of this post added to the drama. Many fans claimed it was a cheeky response to ongoing speculation that Gurjapneet’s injury might not be genuine.
Some even accused CSK of “faking” his injury to bring in Brevis as a replacement, a theory that had already gone viral after an earlier video allegedly showed Gurjapneet bowling in practice despite being ruled out.
How did Dewald Brevis join CSK and what’s the link with Gurjapneet Singh?
Brevis, often called Baby AB for his explosive batting, joined CSK midway through the season as Gurjapneet’s injury replacement.
The South African batter, who went unsold in the IPL 2025 auction with a base price of ₹75 lakh, was later picked from the Registered Available Player Pool (RAPP).
Gurjapneet, on the other hand, had been bought for ₹2.2 crore as a left-arm pacer at the mega auction.
Once Brevis came in, CSK’s middle order looked stronger. He impressed quickly as he smashed 225 runs in six matches at a strike rate of 180. But even as his performances won fans over, the controversy around Gurjapneet’s fitness refused to die down.
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