Rajasthan Royals Star Lhuan-dre Pretorius Breaks Chris Gayle’s T20 World Record

A record that looked almost impossible to break has finally been shattered. South African youngster and Rajasthan Royals player Lhuan-dre Pretorius has broken Chris Gayle’s world record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.

Pretorius produced a stunning unbeaten 188 runs from 79 balls while playing for Titans against Knights. His innings included 15 fours and 13 sixes, as Titans finished their 20 overs at 267/3.

For more than 13 years, Chris Gayle’s iconic 175* had stood at the top of the T20 record books. Pretorius has now gone past the West Indies legend and created history at just 20 years of age.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius Breaks Chris Gayle’s T20 Record

Chris Gayle created history during IPL 2013 when he smashed 175 not out from just 66 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India.

Gayle hit 13 fours and 17 sixes in that extraordinary innings. For years, it was considered one of the most difficult batting records to break in T20 cricket.

Pretorius has finally done it.

The left-handed batter remained unbeaten on 188 from 79 deliveries, striking at 237.97. His 15 fours and 13 sixes meant that 138 of his 188 runs came through boundaries.

He eventually finished just 12 runs short of becoming the first batter to score a double century in recognised T20 cricket.

Pretorius Creates Another Remarkable T20 Record

There was another remarkable aspect of Pretorius’ innings.

He faced 79 deliveries, equalling the record for the most balls faced by a batter in a recognised T20 innings. Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis had previously faced 79 balls in T20 innings as well.

However, neither managed to score as many runs as Pretorius.

Stoinis made 147 from 79 balls for Melbourne Stars against Sydney Sixers in 2020, while Finch faced 79 deliveries during his innings against Sussex in 2018.

Pretorius has now joined them on 79 balls while turning those deliveries into an unprecedented 188 runs.

From Chris Gayle’s 175 to Pretorius’ 188

When Gayle hammered 175* in 2013, the innings appeared to be a once-in-a-generation performance.

Several world-class power hitters came close over the years. Aaron Finch scored 172, while South African star Dewald Brevis smashed 162.

But nobody could get past Gayle.

That changed with Pretorius.

His 188 is now the highest individual score in recognised T20 cricket, moving him above Gayle’s legendary 175 and setting a new benchmark for the format.

Big News for Rajasthan Royals and South Africa

Pretorius’ record-breaking innings is also an exciting development for Rajasthan Royals.

The young South African is part of the Rajasthan Royals setup, and an innings of this magnitude once again shows his enormous hitting ability.

He is only 20 years old, making the achievement even more remarkable. Pretorius had already established himself as one of South Africa’s exciting young batting talents, but breaking one of T20 cricket’s most famous records takes his reputation to another level.

For South Africa, it provides another glimpse of a batter who could become an important player for them in the coming years.

For Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, they have a young batter capable of producing an innings that very few players in the history of T20 cricket have managed.

Pretorius could not quite reach the magical 200-run mark this time.

But after watching him score 188 from 79 balls, the possibility of someone finally reaching a T20 double century no longer looks quite as impossible as it once did.