Congratulations to Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who now holds the T20 world record for the highest individual score in the men’s game, an unbeaten 188 off 79 balls for the Titans against the Flexbrands Knights at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Friday night.
The 20-year-old opener hit 15 fours and 13 sixes in the YesPlay Pro20 Cup and finished on a strike rate of 237.97. He was 12 runs short of the first double century in men’s T20 cricket when the 20 overs ran out.
Chris Gayle’s 175 not out off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 IPL had held the T20 world record for 13 years. Gayle made his at 265.15, quicker per ball, off 13 deliveries fewer. The men’s list now reads Pretorius 188 not out, Gayle 175 not out, then Aaron Finch’s 172 for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2018.
Pretorius also cleared the South African mark, Dewald Brevis’s 162 off 57 balls against these same Knights in 2022.
How the T20 world record was built
The landmarks came in a hurry: fifty off 24 balls, hundred off 40, 150 off 58. Of the 188, 138 came in boundaries, 60 in fours and 78 in sixes, which left 50 to be run.
Pretorius and Sinethemba Qeshile put on 112 for the first wicket in 7.4 overs before Qeshile went for 14 off 10. Brevis was caught by Haasbroek off Boast for 7, and Leus du Plooy went the same way, caught Haasbroek off Motswiri, for 17.
Donovan Ferreira finished 29 not out off 11 balls and the Titans took 68 off the last five overs without losing a wicket, closing on 267 for 3. Set 268, the Knights were bowled out for 143 and lost by 124 runs.
Pretorius’s last three T20 scores read 188 not out, 101 and 94
Friday was his first innings of the 2026-27 season. His previous best in the format was 102 not out in Major League Cricket.
Last month he made 101 off 53 for South Africa against Namibia, the youngest T20I century by a player from an ICC Full Member nation.
Asked afterwards about the T20 world record he had taken off Gayle, he said he had not known it was in range.
“I didn’t even know that. Flip he’s a legend of the game… records come and go, you just always try give your best.” – Lhuan-dre Pretorius
“That’s a crazy run rate and a record that won’t get broken anytime soon! Well done, Lhuan-dre.” – 🎙️Jay
Just Plain Sport will cover every Titans innings for the rest of the YesPlay Pro20 Cup, and Pretorius bats first in all of them.
