Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashes 188* to break Chris Gayle's T20 world record
Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashes 188* to break Chris Gayle’s T20 world record
Lhuan-dre Pretorius has set a new Pretorius T20 record, smashing an unbeaten 188 off 79 balls for the Titans against the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge at Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Friday night, and breaking Chris Gayle’s long-standing mark for the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket.
The 20-year-old fell 12 runs short of becoming the first batter to score a double century in a T20 innings. His knock went past Gayle’s 175 not out, scored for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 Indian Premier League, a record that had stood for more than 13 years.
Pretorius T20 record built on brutal ball-striking
Pretorius reached his half-century off 24 balls, needed only 16 more deliveries to bring up his hundred, and raced to 150 off 58 balls. It was his third T20 century.
The left-handed opener struck 15 fours and 13 sixes. Every Knights bowler conceded at an economy rate of 11 or more per over. His 79-ball stay also equalled the record for the longest innings in men’s T20 cricket in terms of balls faced, a mark he now shares with Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis.
Titans pile up 267 in 124-run win
Pretorius carried the Titans to 267 for three, the second-highest total in CSA T20 Challenge history. The competition record of 271 for three was also set by the Titans against the Knights in 2022. That match had produced the tournament’s previous highest individual score, Dewald Brevis’s 162. The Titans now hold the five highest team totals in the competition’s history.
Chasing 268, the Knights were bowled out for 143. Gihan Cloete top-scored with 39 off 25 balls, while Titans captain Donovan Ferreira claimed three wickets for 16 runs. The Titans sealed a 124-run victory.
A star in the making
The innings was Pretorius’s first appearance of the 2026-27 domestic season, and it continued a rich run of form. In his previous two outings for South Africa, he scored 94 and 101 against Zimbabwe and Namibia respectively in a tri-series in September.
Despite having played only 22 internationals across formats, Pretorius has already appeared in 91 T20 matches, scoring at a strike rate of 150.44. His previous innings before Friday was a 53-ball 101 for South Africa in a T20 international against Namibia last month.
Highest individual scores in men’s T20 cricket
| Batter | Score | Balls | Match | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | 188* | 79 | Titans vs Knights | 2026 |
| Chris Gayle | 175* | 66 | RCB vs Pune Warriors | 2013 |
| Aaron Finch | 172 | 76 | Australia vs Zimbabwe | 2018 |
| Karanbir Singh | 164 | 57 | Austria vs Hungary | 2026 |
| Hamza Khan | 164* | 65 | Rwanda vs Ivory Coast | 2026 |
Who holds the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket?
Lhuan-dre Pretorius, after his unbeaten 188 off 79 balls for the Titans against the Knights in Bloemfontein on 2 October 2026.
What was Chris Gayle’s T20 record?
Gayle scored 175 not out off 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 IPL. It stood as the highest T20 score for more than 13 years.
How close did Pretorius come to a T20 double century?
He finished 12 runs short, running out of overs with the Titans on 267 for three.
