Lhuan-dre Pretorius Smashes Unbeaten 188 to Break Chris Gayle's T20 Record
South Africa's Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashed an unbeaten 188 to break Chris Gayle's long-standing record for the highest individual score in men's T20 cricket.
In a historic display of power hitting, South Africa's 20-year-old sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius has rewritten the record books of men's T20 cricket. Playing for the Titans against the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge in Bloemfontein, the left-handed opener struck an unprecedented unbeaten 188 runs, finally eclipsing the legendary Chris Gayle.
The massive innings ended a 13-year era of dominance by the West Indian icon, whose unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the 2013 IPL had stood as the highest individual score in the format for over a decade.
A Blitzkrieg from the First Ball
Pretorius did not merely play an innings; he launched a calculated assault on the Knights' bowling attack. The young opener showed no signs of nerves, reaching his half-century in just 24 deliveries. He then accelerated further, crossing the century mark in a mere 40 balls.
As the onslaught continued, the boundaries flowed relentlessly. He raced to 150 in just 58 balls and maintained his momentum until the very end. His final tally included:
- Total Runs: 188 (unbeaten)
- Balls Faced: 79
- Strike Rate: 237.97
- Fours: 15
- Sixes: 13
The youngster fell agonizingly short of history's next great milestone, finishing just 12 runs shy of becoming the first player to score a double-century in men's T20 cricket.
Matching Endurance and Setting New Benchmarks
While his scoring rate was breathtaking, Pretorius also demonstrated remarkable stamina. By facing 79 deliveries, he matched the record for the longest individual innings in men's T20 history, a feat previously shared by Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis.
His performance also shattered local records. He surpassed Dewald Brevis' score of 162, which was previously the highest individual tally in the CSA T20 Challenge. His explosive batting propelled the Titans to a mammoth total of 267/3, marking the second-highest team total in the history of the competition, trailing only the Titans' own 271/3 set in 2022.
The Rise of a New T20 Superstar
This record-breaking feat marks the beginning of the 2026-27 season for Pretorius, and it follows a period of exceptional form. In September, he displayed similar dominance in a tri-series against Zimbabwe and Namibia, where he scored 94 and 101 respectively.
Despite having a relatively modest tally of 22 international appearances across formats, his experience in the shortest version of the game is substantial. He has already featured in 91 T20 matches, maintaining a highly impressive career strike rate of 150.44. With this latest performance, Lhuan-dre Pretorius has firmly established himself as the new benchmark for excellence in global T20 cricket.