Bloemfontein, October 3 (Daily Kiran) : In a remarkable display of batting, South African cricketer Luan-Dre Pretorius has broken a 13-year-old record previously held by West Indies legend Chris Gayle. This achievement occurred during the CSA T20 Challenge, held in Bloemfontein.
Pretorius, playing for the Titans, scored an impressive 188 runs off just 79 balls against the Knights. While he narrowly missed out on a double century by just 12 runs, he succeeded in surpassing Gayle’s long-standing record for the highest individual score in T20 cricket.
Gayle’s record was established in 2013 when he scored an unbeaten 175 runs for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the Indian Premier League. In that explosive innings, he hit 17 sixes and 13 fours, setting a benchmark that stood for over a decade.
In Pretorius’s innings, he reached his half-century in just 24 balls and completed his century in the following 16 deliveries. His powerful performance included 13 sixes and 15 fours, showcasing his explosive batting style.
At just 20 years old, Pretorius is regarded as one of South Africa’s most promising talents and is seen as a key player for the future of the country’s cricket. He has already made his debut in all three formats for South Africa. In his brief career, he has amassed 235 runs in two Test matches, 142 runs in three One Day Internationals, and 427 runs in 17 T20 matches.
In the match itself, the Titans batted first, scoring 267 runs for the loss of three wickets in their 20 overs. The Knights, in response, were bowled out for just 143 runs in 17.2 overs, resulting in a 124-run defeat.
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