South African batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius has set a new record for the highest score in men’s T20 cricket. He made 188 not out for the Titans against the Knights. The match was played in the CSA T20 Challenge in Bloemfontein. Pretorius faced only 79 balls. He finished 12 runs short of a double century.
The previous record was held by Chris Gayle. Gayle scored 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2013. That innings came against the Pune Warriors. Pretorius has now moved past that mark. This was his third century in T20 cricket.
Pretorius started quickly. He reached fifty in 24 balls. He needed just 16 more balls to get to his hundred. He brought up 150 in 58 deliveries. He ended with 13 sixes and 15 fours. Every Knights bowler conceded at 11 runs an over or more.
Pretorius also tied a record for the longest innings in men’s T20s by balls faced. He shares that mark with Aaron Finch and Marcus Stoinis.
The Titans posted 267 for 3. That is the second-highest team total in the competition’s history. Their own 271 for 3 in 2022 still tops the list. That earlier game was also against the Knights. It featured Dewald Brevis’ 162, which was the highest individual score in the CSA T20 Challenge until Pretorius beat it. The Titans now hold the five highest team totals in the tournament’s history.
This was Pretorius’ first match of the 2026-27 season. He came into it in strong form. In his previous two games, he scored 94 and 101 against Zimbabwe and Namibia. Those matches were part of a tri-series in September.
Pretorius has played only 22 international matches across formats. But this was his 91st T20 game. His strike rate in T20 cricket is 150.44.
Titans Crush Knights by 124 Runs as Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ Record 188 Steals the Show
The Titans put on a batting display to remember at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein. They chose to bat first in their CSA T20 Challenge night match against the Knights. By the time their 20 overs were done, they had piled up 267 for 3.
The innings belonged to Lhuan-dre Pretorius. The left-handed opener carried his bat through the entire innings. He finished unbeaten on 188 off just 79 balls. His strike rate was a stunning 237.97. He hit 15 fours and 13 sixes. No other Titans batter came close to matching his output. Sinethemba Qeshile made 14. Dewald Brevis scored 7. Leus du Plooy contributed 17. Donovan Ferreira provided a late flourish with an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls, which included two sixes.
The Knights bowlers had a tough evening. Ross Boast, Emmanuel Motswiri, and Dane Piedt each took one wicket. But all three went for plenty of runs. Boast finished with 1 for 46. Motswiri conceded 47 for his one wicket. Piedt gave away 49. No bowler managed an economy rate below 11.
Chasing 268, the Knights never looked like getting close. They lost wickets regularly. Jacques Snyman started brightly with 32 off 12 balls, but he fell early. Gihahn Cloete top-scored with 39 off 25 balls. Cole Abrahams made 12. George Van Heerden also scored 12. The rest of the batting order offered little resistance.
The Titans bowlers shared the wickets around. Donovan Ferreira was the pick of them. He took 3 for 16 in his four overs. Junior Dala also claimed three wickets, finishing with 3 for 23. Tabraiz Shamsi was economical and took 2 for 23. Dayyaan Galiem and Eathan Bosch chipped in with one wicket each.
The Knights were eventually bowled out for 143 in 17.2 overs. The Titans won by a massive margin of 124 runs. It was a complete team performance from the Titans, though Pretorius’s incredible innings was the clear highlight. The win gave the Titans five points, while the Knights got none.
FAQs
Q. Who holds the record for the highest score in men’s T20 cricket?
A. Lhuan-dre Pretorius holds the record with 188 not out.
Q. How many balls did Pretorius face for his 188?
A. Pretorius scored 188 not out from 79 balls.
Q. Whose T20 record did Pretorius break?
A. Pretorius broke Chris Gayle’s record of 175 not out.
Q. How many sixes did Pretorius hit?
A. Pretorius hit 13 sixes and 15 fours.
Q. By how many runs did the Titans beat the Knights?
A. The Titans won by 124 runs.
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