Every IPL season has its storyline, but IPL 2025 offers us a different story arc – The Rise of the Replacements. When teams suffer injuries to their playing groups, you tend to see the chaos starting to creep in. This was not the case this year? We are talking plot twist after plot twist – underrated heroes stepped up, delivered, and left everyone questioning why they were not originally selected. Just as the tournament is about to kick into another gear, let’s take a look at five replacements who turned adversity into opportunity – and in the process put their name into the mouths of every cricket-loving fan.
The Brevis Breakthrough: CSK’s Best Mid-Season Call
Let’s start with the biggest name on this list, Dewald Brevis. He was signed as a replacement player for pacer Gurjapneet Singh by the Chennai Super Kings, but he didn’t just replace Gurjapneet; he took over the role.
From his first innings, he added some authority through the CSK middle order; 42 vs SRH was big hitting, and then he followed it up with an audacious 32 vs PBKS. His innings of 57 against Gujarat Titans created a stir – he showed controlled aggression, risk-taking, and an immaturity that was way beyond his years. Yes, he ducked against RCB (it happens!), but he bounced back like a pro.
Young Guns Making Big Noise
What’s more thrilling than watching an adolescent talent not back away from experienced international bowlers? Nothing. Enter Ayush Mhatre, the 17-year-old wonderboy picked up by CSK after Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unfortunate injury to his elbow.
Mhatre not just handled the pressure but welcomed it. Notching up powerplays with battering and fearless hitting, Mhatre almost went through the moon with his 94 against RCB a few games ago, where Twitter went insane. Even when he had a failure (yes, we are calling you KKR), he bounced back with 43 and 34 to finish the season strong. Mhatre ended up with 240 runs in seven innings, but for us, it was not the runs; it was the intent.
Unlikely Heroes with Golden Arms
Harsh Dubey made quite the impression at SRH after joining mid-season, just after a record season with the ball in the Ranji Trophy (69 wickets!). After a slow start to his SRH career, he bowled an absolute peach to dismiss Virat Kohli, and then took the three wickets of KKR in a bowling performance that oozed class. The composure shown by the 22-year-old was incredible and describes a serious act of ‘hooliganism’.
And next, we have Shardul Thakur. He was left out in the mega auction (massive error) and came in under the umbrella of Mohsin Khan at Lucknow Super Giants, and wow first ball 2 wickets, and an incredible 4/34 against SRH, and whilst his economy rate did pay the price, all in all 13 wickets in 10 games – that’s actually impressive. Thakur did what Thakur always does – arrive when needed.
Read Also: Why PBKS’ Bowling Crisis Could Cost Them the Playoffs
The Dark Horse with a Blazing Bat
Then there’s Urvil Patel—not quite as consistent as Brevis or Mhatre, but loud enough to have the crowd sit up and pay attention. He was signed in after the injury to Vansh Bedi, and Urvil wasted no time in making an impression.
He blasted 31 off 11 against KKR, and followed it with a blistering 37 off 19 against Gujarat Titans. While he did not score big runs, his explosive starts gave CSK the early momentum that is very important in modern T20 cricket.
Which of them is going to take this form into IPL 2026? And importantly, how many more are just one injury away from lighting up the league?
Tell us your favourite breakout replacement in the comments, because the next IPL star might just be warming the bench right now.
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