Lhuan-Dre Pretorius 188*: 20-Year-Old Smashes Chris Gayle’s All-Time T20 Record with 79-Ball Masterclass
Lhuan-dre Pretorius 188*: 20-Year-Old Smashes Chris Gayle’s All-Time T20 Record with 79-Ball Masterclass
In one of the most devastating displays of power-hitting ever witnessed, 20-year-old South African sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius rewrote the record books on Friday night, smashing an unbeaten 188 off just 79 balls for the Titans against the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge. The innings broke Chris Gayle’s 13-year-old record for the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket, and left the cricket world in complete awe. Here is the complete story of a night that will be remembered forever.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius celebrates after breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the highest T20 score. (Photo: SuperSport)
Key Takeaways – The Record-Breaking Knock
- 🏏 Highest Score in Men’s T20 History: Pretorius’ 188* broke Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of 175* for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 IPL.Source: cricket.com.au
- ⚡ Blistering Strike Rate: The 20-year-old finished with a strike rate of 237.97, smashing 13 sixes and 15 fours in his 79-ball stay.Source: BBC Sport
- 🔥 Fastest Fifty and Century: He reached his fifty in just 24 balls, his century in 40 balls, and his 150 in 58 deliveries.Source: 7NEWS
- 📊 Titans Post 267/3: His knock powered the Titans to the second-highest total in CSA T20 Challenge history, behind their own 271/3 in 2022.Source: ESPN Singapore
- 💪 Emphatic 124-Run Victory: The Titans bowled the Knights out for 143 to complete a dominant bonus-point win.Source: BBC Sport
📊 Full Scorecard – Titans vs Knights
🏏 Titans – 267/3 (20 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | 188* | 79 | 15 | 13 | 237.97 |
| Jordan Hermann | 28 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 133.33 |
| Dewald Brevis | 18 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 150.00 |
| Sibonelo Makhanya | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 150.00 |
| Donavon Ferreira | 5* | 2 | 1 | 0 | 250.00 |
Extras: 16 · Total: 267/3 (RR: 13.35) · Fall of wickets: 1-78 (Hermann, 8.2 ov), 2-142 (Brevis, 13.4 ov), 3-235 (Makhanya, 18.3 ov)Source: BBC Sport
🏏 Knights – 143 all out (17.2 overs)
| Batter | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gihahn Cloete | 39 | 25 | 4 | 2 | 156.00 |
| Patrick Botha | 28 | 22 | 3 | 1 | 127.27 |
| Dian Forrester | 21 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 116.67 |
| Gerald Coetzee | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Migael Pretorius | 12 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 120.00 |
Extras: 12 · Total: 143 all out · Fall of wickets: 1-52, 2-78, 3-95, 4-112, 5-125, 6-131, 7-138, 8-139, 9-142, 10-143Source: cricket.com.au
🏏 Titans Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donavon Ferreira | 4 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 4.00 |
| Junior Dala | 4 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 7.00 |
| Tabraiz Shamsi | 4 | 0 | 32 | 2 | 8.00 |
| Lungi Ngidi | 3.2 | 0 | 38 | 2 | 11.40 |
Source: cricket.com.au
📖 Records & Milestones – The Bloemfontein Blitz
- Highest Individual Score in Men’s T20: 188* off 79 balls, surpassing Chris Gayle’s 175* (2013).Source: cricket.com.au
- Longest Innings in Men’s T20 (Balls Faced): 79 balls, equalling Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis.Source: ESPN Singapore
- Fastest Fifty: 24 balls.Source: 7NEWS
- Fastest Century: 40 balls (16 balls after fifty).Source: 7NEWS
- Fastest 150: 58 balls.Source: 7NEWS
- Most Sixes in an Innings (Titans): 13 sixes.Source: cricket.com.au
- Highest Team Total in CSA T20 Challenge (2nd): 267/3.Source: ESPN Singapore
- Third T20 Century: Pretorius’ third career T20 hundred.Source: ESPN Singapore
🏆 Top 5 Highest Individual Scores in Men’s T20
| # | Batter | Score | Balls | Team | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lhuan-dre Pretorius | 188* | 79 | Titans | Knights | 2026 |
| 2 | Chris Gayle | 175* | 66 | Royal Challengers Bangalore | Pune Warriors | 2013 |
| 3 | Aaron Finch | 172 | 76 | Australia | Zimbabwe | 2018 |
| 4 | Hamza Khan | 164* | 65 | Rwanda | Ivory Coast | 2026 |
| 5 | Karanbir Singh | 164 | 57 | Austria | Hungary | 2026 |
Source: cricket.com.au / ESPN SingaporeSource: cricket.com.au
🎥 Best Moments – X.com Clips
🗣️ Expert Reactions – What They Said
🗣️ Senior Journalist’s Verdict – A Star is Born
My Take: This Was More Than a Record – It Was a Statement
In the history of T20 cricket, there have been many great innings. Chris Gayle’s 175* in 2013 stood as the pinnacle for 13 years. It was a record that seemed almost unbreakable – a perfect storm of power, timing, and audacity. On Friday night in Bloemfontein, a 20-year-old from Potchefstroom made it look ordinary.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ 188* off 79 balls was not just a record-breaking knock. It was a coming-of-age moment for a player who has been earmarked for greatness since his schoolboy days. His last three T20 scores now read: 188*, 101, 94. That is not form – that is dominance.
What makes this innings even more remarkable is the context. This was his first game of the 2026-27 season. He had not played a competitive match since September. And yet, from the moment he walked out to bat, he looked like a man on a mission. The fifty came off 24 balls. The century off 40. The 150 off 58. Every Knights bowler went at 11 or more.
South African cricket has found its next superstar. The world has been warned. Lhuan-dre Pretorius is here, and he is not going anywhere.
— Editorial Team, CricLive.in
📰 Sources
- cricket.com.au — Match report, records, top 5 list
- BBC Sport — Match report, scorecard, records
- ESPN Singapore — Match report, records, analysis
- 7NEWS — Match report, fan reactions
- Geo Super — Match report, records list
- Yahoo Sports — Match report, scorecard
- SuperSport — Match report, social media
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