Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashes unbeaten 188 to break Chris Gayle’s T20 record

PARIS, France (AFP) — Lhuan-dre Pretorius hit 188 not out off 79 deliveries in Bloemfontein to break Chris Gayle's record score in the T20 format. Playing for the Titans against the Knights in the South African CSA Challenge, the 20-year-old left hander opened the batting and hit 13 sixes and 14 fours in his innings to surpass Gayle's 175 for Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League in 2013. Pretorius reached 50 in 24 balls, needed 16 more to get to his century and took another 18 to hit 150. Gayle scored his 175 off 66 balls, striking 17 sixes and 13 fours. The 20-year-old has represented South Africa in all three international formats. He was making his first Titans appearance of the season after scoring 226 total runs, tied for most with Dewald Brevis, in a three-nation series in Namibia in September. On Friday, he dominated the strike, facing the equivalent of more than 13 overs to tie Australians Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis for the most balls faced in a T20 innings. The second-highest scorer was Sinethemba Qeshile with 14 as the Titans finished on 267-3. They then bowled out the Knights for 143 to win by 124 runs. The Titans total was the second-highest in the competition's history, behind their 271 also against the Kings in 2022. In that match, Brevis hit 162, a competition record until Friday. This time he made seven. The Cricinfo website calculated that in 91 T20 games, Pretorius has a strike rate of 150.44.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashed an unbeaten 188 from 79 balls for South Africa’s Titans against the Knights on Friday, setting a new record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashed an unbeaten 188 from 79 balls for South Africa’s Titans against the Knights on Friday, setting a new record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashed an unbeaten 79-ball 188 for the Titans to register the highest-ever individual T20 score.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius has made T20 cricket history with his phenomenal score of 188 runs off 79 balls while playing for the Titans against the Knights. This feat breaks Chris Gayle's former record of 175 runs, showcasing Pretorius's exceptional talent as he maintained a striking rate of 237.97. His recent century for South Africa further underscores his remarkable consistency and prowess on the field.

Bloemfontein: South Africa's Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashed an unbeaten 188 off 79 balls to break Chris Gayle's record for the highest individual score in men's T20 cricket during the CSA T20 Challenge match between Titans and Knights in Bloemfontein. Lhuan-Dre Pretorius scores the highest-ever individual score in T20 cricket #SSCricket | #Pro20Cup pic.twitter.com/Thh8hQL5z9— SuperSport (@SuperSportTV) October 2, 2026 The 20-year-old left-hander surpassed Gayle's unbeaten 175 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Pune Warriors India in the 2013 Indian Premier League, ending the West Indian's 13-year hold on the record.Pretorius launched his assault from the beginning, reaching his half-century in 24 balls before bringing up his century in just 40 deliveries. He raced to 150 in 58 balls and continued his onslaught to finish with 15 fours and 13 sixes at a strike rate of 237.97.Australia Newcastle Knights Horror: Car Drives Into Packed Crowd Of Fans Ahead Of Rugby League Finals, Several Injured | Video He fell just 12 runs short of becoming the first batter to score a double-century in men's T20 cricket.Pretorius' innings also matched Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis' record for the longest innings in men's T20 cricket in terms of balls faced, with all three having faced 79 deliveries.His explosive knock propelled Titans to 267/3, the second-highest total in the history of the CSA T20 Challenge. Titans' own 271/3 against Knights in 2022 remains the competition's highest total.Also Watch: Pretorius also went past Dewald Brevis' 162, which had stood as the highest individual score in the CSA T20 Challenge. The Titans opener's innings came in his first match of the 2026-27 season and extended a remarkable run of form.He had scored 94 and 101 in his previous two matches for South Africa against Zimbabwe and Namibia in a tri-series in September.Mohammad Rizwan Appears Before NCCIA For Mobile Phone Forensic Analysis In Betting & Gambling Probe Despite having played only 22 internationals across formats, Pretorius has already featured in 91 T20 matches and has a career strike rate of 150.44 in the format.The record-breaking innings capped a remarkable day for the young opener, who now holds the highest individual score ever recorded in men's T20 cricket. (Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Lhuan-dre Pretorius has made T20 cricket history with his phenomenal score of 188 runs off 79 balls while playing for the Titans against the Knights. This feat breaks Chris Gayle's former record of 175 runs, showcasing Pretorius's exceptional talent as he maintained a striking rate of 237.97. His recent century for South Africa further underscores his remarkable consistency and prowess on the field.