South Africa’s Lhuan-dre Pretorius broke Chris Gayle’s record for the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket with an unbeaten 188 off 79 balls for Titans against Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge in Bloemfontein. His innings included 15 fours and 13 sixes, with a strike rate of 237.97, while 138 of his runs came through boundaries.
Pretorius Breaks Gayle’s 175-Run Record
Pretorius surpassed Gayle’s 13-year-old record when he completed his 176th run. Gayle had scored an unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League in 2013.
Pretorius’s 188 became the highest individual score in an innings in men’s T20 cricket.
Finch Retains T20 International Record
Pretorius’s 188 is the highest individual innings in men’s T20 cricket across all levels. The record for the highest individual score in a T20 International innings remains with former Australia captain Aaron Finch.
Finch scored 172 off 76 balls against Zimbabwe in Harare in 2018, including 16 fours and 10 sixes. Pretorius’s 188 therefore surpassed Gayle’s record across all levels of T20 cricket, while Finch’s T20 International record remains in a separate category.
Fifty in 24 Balls and Century in 40
Pretorius reached his half-century in 24 balls before adding another 50 runs from his next 16 deliveries to complete his century in 40 balls.
He reached 150 in 58 balls and came close to becoming the first player to complete a double century in the match, but his innings ended unbeaten on 188 after 20 overs were completed.
He finished 12 runs short of 200 in T20 cricket.
His 79-ball innings also placed him among the players with the most balls faced in a men’s T20 innings, equalling Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis.
Titans Score 267/3
Powered by Pretorius’s record innings, Titans scored 267/3 in their 20 overs. It was the second-highest team total in CSA T20 Challenge history.
The highest team total in the competition also belongs to Titans, who scored 271 against Knights in 2022. Dewald Brevis scored 162 in that match.
Brevis’s 162 had previously been the highest individual score by a batter in the CSA T20 Challenge. Pretorius has now surpassed that record with his 188.
Knights Bowled Out for 143
Chasing 268, Knights made a fast start and scored 33 runs in the first two overs. Jacques Snyman scored 32 off 12 balls.
After Snyman was dismissed from the first ball of the third over, Knights’ scoring rate declined. The team continued to lose wickets and could not reduce the pressure of the target.
Knights were bowled out for 143 in 17.2 overs, giving Titans a 124-run victory.
Pretorius Continues Strong Run of Scores
The CSA T20 Challenge match was Pretorius’s first game of the season, but he had already scored heavily in recent matches.
In the tri-series involving Zimbabwe and Namibia in September, he scored 94 and 101 in the previous two matches, respectively. His 188 for Titans therefore followed those two scores.
Pretorius has played 91 T20 matches and has a strike rate of 150.44 in the format. He has played 22 international matches across all three formats.
Who Is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
Lhuan-dre Pretorius is a 20-year-old left-handed opening batter and wicketkeeper from South Africa. He was born on March 27, 2006.
He was South Africa’s leading run-scorer at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup. In the 2025 SA20 season, he scored 397 runs for Paarl Royals and finished as the tournament’s top scorer.
Pretorius made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 2025 and scored 153 in his second Test innings.
What Is the CSA T20 Challenge?
The CSA T20 Challenge is South Africa’s domestic T20 cricket competition, featuring domestic teams from the country. The competition provides players with a competitive T20 platform at the domestic level.
Pretorius’s 188 changed the competition’s record books, surpassing both Chris Gayle’s 175-run record and Dewald Brevis’s 162-run individual record. Titans’ 267/3 is the second-highest team total in the competition’s history.
