Lhuan-dre Pretorius Breaks Chris Gayle's T20 Record with Stunning 188*
3 October 2026 · 1 views
Lhuan-dre Pretorius Rewrites T20 History
188* from 79 balls. A breathtaking innings that pushed the men's T20 individual scoring record beyond Chris Gayle's long-standing benchmark.
Some records are broken. Others are demolished. Lhuan-dre Pretorius delivered the latter. The young South African batter produced a stunning 188 not out from just 79 balls for the Titans against the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge, breaking Chris Gayle's long-standing record for the highest individual score in men's T20 cricket.
The new benchmark for the highest individual score in men's T20 cricket.
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188*
RUNS
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79
BALLS
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15
FOURS
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13
SIXES
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The Record That Finally Fell
For more than a decade, Chris Gayle's unbeaten 175 had remained one of the most iconic individual batting performances in T20 cricket.
Gayle produced that extraordinary score for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 IPL.
Pretorius has now moved the benchmark to a remarkable 188 not out — adding 13 runs to the previous record.
Then 100. Then 150. Then 188*
The extraordinary nature of Pretorius' innings becomes clear when you look at how quickly he reached each major milestone.
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188* from 79 balls produced an extraordinary scoring rate.
28 Boundaries. One Historic Innings.
Pretorius combined power with relentless consistency. His 79-ball stay at the crease included 15 fours and 13 sixes.
That means 28 scoring shots reached the boundary, providing the innings with the kind of sustained momentum rarely seen in T20 cricket.
Titans Turn the Record Into a Rout
Pretorius' assault helped the Titans post a huge 267/3 in 20 overs.
The Knights were then dismissed for 143 in 17.2 overs, giving the Titans a commanding 124-run victory.
| MATCH SUMMARY | |
| Titans | 267/3 • 20 overs |
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | 188* • 79 balls |
| Knights | 143 • 17.2 overs |
| Result | Titans won by 124 runs |
Pretorius vs Chris Gayle
The scale of Pretorius' achievement becomes clearer when compared with the record he replaced.
| BATTER | SCORE | BALLS | SIXES | FOURS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | 188* | 79 | 13 | 15 | 2026 |
| Chris Gayle | 175* | 66 | 17 | 12 | 2013 |
The Record Was Not an Isolated Flash
Pretorius had already been producing eye-catching performances before this record-breaking innings.
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101 vs Namibia
T20I
Pretorius recently scored 101 from 53 balls for South Africa against Namibia. |
94 vs Zimbabwe
T20I
He had also produced a 94-run performance against Zimbabwe. |
Who Is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
Lhuan-dre Pretorius is a young South African left-handed batter and wicketkeeper who has emerged as an exciting attacking player in the shortest format.
His game is built around aggressive strokeplay, boundary-hitting and the ability to maintain a remarkable scoring tempo.
Why 188* Is So Extraordinary
T20 cricket is designed around aggressive batting, yet individual scores approaching 200 remain exceptionally rare.
Pretorius did not simply cross the previous record. He maintained an extraordinary scoring rate throughout his innings.
| ✓ | 188* — Pretorius' final score. |
| ✓ | 79 balls — deliveries faced. |
| ✓ | 15 fours + 13 sixes — 28 boundaries. |
| ✓ | 40 balls — time taken to reach 100. |
| ✓ | 124 runs — Titans' winning margin. |
For 13 years, 175* was the number associated with the highest individual score in men's T20 cricket. Now there is a new number at the top. Lhuan-dre Pretorius has created a new benchmark.
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