Lhuan-dre Pretorius Breaks Chris Gayle’s Record With Stunning 188* in T20 Cricket

South Africa’s young batting sensation Lhuan-dre Pretorius produced a record-breaking performance in the CSA T20 Challenge, smashing an unbeaten 188 off just 79 deliveries for the Titans against the Knights in Bloemfontein.

The 20-year-old left-handed opener surpassed the long-standing men’s T20 record held by West Indies great Chris Gayle, who had scored 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors in 2013.

Pretorius launched his assault from the very beginning, reaching his half-century in just 24 balls. He needed only another 16 deliveries to bring up his century and raced to 150 from 58 balls. He eventually finished unbeaten on 188, narrowly missing out on becoming the first batter to score a double-century in men’s T20 cricket.

His extraordinary innings included 15 fours and 13 sixes, as he dismantled the Knights bowling attack. Every Knights bowler conceded runs at an economy rate of at least 11 during the Titans' massive total.

The Titans finished their 20 overs on 267 for 3, making it the second-highest total in CSA T20 Challenge history. Their own 271 for 3 against the Knights in 2022 remains the competition record.

Pretorius’ innings also broke the record for the highest individual score in the CSA T20 Challenge. The previous mark was held by Dewald Brevis, who scored 162 in the Titans' 2022 encounter against the Knights.

The Titans now occupy the five highest team totals in the history of the CSA T20 Challenge, underlining their dominance in the competition.

Pretorius’ record-breaking knock came in his first match of the 2026-27 season. He entered the tournament in impressive form after scoring 94 and 101 in his previous two matches for South Africa against Zimbabwe and Namibia in a tri-series in September.

Despite having played only 22 internationals across formats, Pretorius has already featured in 91 T20 matches. His explosive style is reflected in his career T20 strike rate of 150.44.

With his latest innings, Pretorius has not only rewritten the record books but also emerged as one of the most destructive young batters in the T20 format.