IPL replacements that made a difference: Mhatre, Brevis stand out

At 17, opener Mhatre showed impressive form after the IPL 2025 mega auction. He had standout performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, including becoming the youngest player to score 150 or more in men's List A cricket. He had trials with CSK, and when captain Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out of the season, Mhatre was drafted in as a replacement.

He made an immediate impact, scoring 32 off 15 on debut against Mumbai Indians (MI), followed by a 19-ball 30 against SRH. His breakout innings came against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), when he struck 94 off 48 balls - becoming the third-youngest player to register a fifty in the IPL.

Dewald Brevis (CSK)

Innings: 6, Runs: 225, Ave: 37.50, Strike rate: 180.00

After going unsold at the auction, Brevis returned to the league as an injury replacement for Gurjapneet Singh. The 22-year-old was part of the MI set-up in 2022 and 2024 and had played a key role in MI Cape Town's (MICT) maiden SA20 win earlier this year, scoring 38 off 18 balls in the final.

At CSK, Brevis made the most of his opportunities. He scored at least 32 in five of his six innings, with the only exception being a first-ball duck against RCB, where he failed to review an lbw decision. His impact can best be illustrated by the fact that he struck 17 sixes during his stint - the second most by a CSK batter this season.

Urvil Patel (CSK)

Innings: 3, Runs: 68, Ave: 22.66, Strike rate: 212.50

The timing of the IPL 2025 mega auction - held before the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25 - meant teams missed out on some of the in-form domestic players. One of them was Gujarat's Urvil, who topped the sixes charts, with 29 in six innings and also holds the record for the joint second-fastest T20 century.

Drafted in as a replacement for Vansh Bedi, Urvil made an immediate impression, dispatching the second ball he faced in the IPL for a six. His 31 off 11 balls helped set up CSK's first successful 180-plus chase in over six years. He featured in just three innings - one of which ended in a two-ball duck - but he showed glimpses of the aggressive style that could make him a key power-hitter in the seasons to come.

Harsh Dubey (SRH)

Innings: 3, Wkts: 5, Ave: 19.60, Economy rate: 9.80

Despite an early exit from the IPL, SRH may have unearthed a long-term prospect in Dubey. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner impressed in his first two appearances, with figures of 1 for 44 and 1 for 20, before delivering a standout performance in SRH's final match of the season - returning 3 for 34 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His dismissal of Andre Russell, who walked off even before the umpire raised the finger, was the highlight of his spell.

SRH had backed Zeeshan Ansari as their frontline spinner after Adam Zampa's injury, but Dubey's performances suggest he could push for a more prominent role next season.

Corbin Bosch (MI)

Innings: 3, Runs: 47, Strike rate: 146.87, Wkt: 1, Economy rate: 7.85

Picked as a replacement for fellow South African Lizaad Williams, Bosch joined MI after playing a key role in MICT's SA20 title run, where he finished as their joint-third-highest wicket-taker.

Bosch featured in only three matches this IPL season but made useful contributions. With the bat, he chipped in with 20 off ten balls and 27 off 22 - both timely efforts in tight situations. With the ball, his most economical performance came against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), when he returned 1 for 26 in four overs.

Shardul Thakur (LSG)

Innings: 10, Wkts: 13, Ave: 28.84, Economy rate: 11.02

After eight consecutive IPL seasons, Shardul went unsold at the 2025 auction. He was preparing for a county stint with Essex when LSG called him up as a replacement for the injured Mohsin Khan.

Shardul made an immediate impact, taking six wickets in his first two games, including a match-winning 4 for 34 against SRH. However, he couldn't sustain that form and was left out of the XI - or XII - in subsequent matches.

Mustafizur Rahman (DC)

Innings: 3, Wkts: 4, Ave: 21.75, Economy rate: 7.90

Delhi Capitals (DC) signed Mustafizur as a replacement for Jake Fraser-McGurk once IPL 2025 resumed post suspension. His best performance came in DC's final league game against PBKS in Jaipur, where he dismissed Priyansh Arya, Shashank Singh, and Marco Jansen.

However, since he was brought in as a temporary replacement, Mustafizur will not be eligible for retention by DC ahead of IPL 2026, in line with the revised replacement regulations.