Lhuan-dre Pretorius has rewritten the record books. The 20-year-old South African opener hammered an unbeaten 188 off just 79 balls for the Titans against the Knights at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Friday night, shattering Chris Gayle's long-standing record for the highest individual score in men's T20 cricket. The previous mark — Gayle's 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 IPL — had stood untouched for more than 13 years.
Table of Contents
- An innings for the ages
- Ball-by-ball: how the carnage unfolded
- The old king: Gayle's 175 and its 13-year reign
- 12 runs short of the impossible
- Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
- Key takeaways
- Sources
- Chronicle related reading
An innings for the ages
Pretorius wasted no time announcing his intent. He danced down the pitch in the very first over, striking a boundary and a six off the opening deliveries — and simply never stopped. By the time the Titans closed on 267 for 3, the second-highest team total in CSA T20 Challenge history, he had struck 15 fours and 13 sixes at a strike rate of 237.97, Sky Sports reported.
The Knights never stood a chance. Bowled out for 143, they slumped to a 124-run defeat as Pretorius watched from the best seat in the house — unbeaten at the crease. Every one of the seven Knights bowlers conceded more than 11 runs an over.
Ball-by-ball: how the carnage unfolded
The numbers tell the story of relentless acceleration:
- 50 off 24 balls — a blistering start after those first-over fireworks
- 100 off 40 balls — just 16 deliveries to convert fifty into three figures
- 150 off 58 balls — the Knights' attack had no answers left
- 188* off 79 balls — the record, reached with the overs running out
Pretorius opened with a 112-run partnership in which partner Sinethemba Queshile managed only 14 off 10 — a stat that says everything about who was doing the damage. Even the fall of wickets around him, including Dewald Brevis for an 11-ball 7, barely slowed the onslaught. A 68-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Donovan Ferreira (29* off 11) carried the Titans to 267-3.
The old king: Gayle's 175 and its 13-year reign
Chris Gayle's unbeaten 175 off 66 balls against the Pune Warriors on April 23, 2013, had survived every assault for over a decade — from Aaron Finch's 172 in 2018 to countless IPL heroics. It was the benchmark against which every T20 innings was measured, the night the "Universe Boss" announced that a T20 innings could carry the weight of a small nation.
That Pretorius surpassed it in a domestic CSA T20 Challenge fixture, not a glittering international league, only adds to the romance. As ESPNcricinfo noted, the innings also equalled the most balls faced in a men's T20 innings — 79, tying Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis.
12 runs short of the impossible
Perhaps the most astonishing detail: Pretorius fell just 12 runs short of the first double century in men's T20 history. He simply ran out of overs. He also overtook Titans teammate Dewald Brevis's 162 as the highest individual score in CSA T20 Challenge history — and the Titans now own the five highest team totals in the competition's history.
Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
Born on March 27, 2006, the left-handed wicketkeeper-batter has been collecting records at a frightening rate. Last month he became the youngest player from an ICC Full Member nation to score a T20 international hundred — 101 off 53 balls against Namibia. He is also the youngest South African to score a Test hundred, with 153 on debut against Zimbabwe last year.
Friday's knock was his third T20 century, coming in his first appearance of the 2026-27 season. He arrived in Bloemfontein in brutal form after scoring 94 and 101 in his previous two outings against Zimbabwe and Namibia in September. Across 91 T20s he now strikes at 150.44 — and he is still 20, Wisden noted.
South African cricket has produced its share of generational talents. On Friday night in Bloemfontein, Pretorius looked like the next one.
Key takeaways
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored 188 not out off 79 balls for the Titans against the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge in Bloemfontein on October 2, 2026.
- The innings breaks Chris Gayle's 175 not out (RCB vs Pune Warriors, IPL 2013), a record that had stood for more than 13 years.
- Pretorius struck 15 fours and 13 sixes at a strike rate of 237.97, finishing 12 runs short of the first T20 double century.
- The 20-year-old is also the youngest T20I centurion from a Full Member nation and the youngest South African Test centurion.
- The Titans posted 267-3 and bowled the Knights out for 143, winning by 124 runs.
