Pretorius 188 has become the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket after South African batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius smashed 188 not out from 79 balls in the CSA T20 Challenge on October 2, 2026. Playing for the Titans against the Knights in Bloemfontein, the 20-year-old produced a powerful innings featuring 15 fours and 13 sixes. His record-breaking performance moved past Chris Gayle’s previous mark of 175 not out, which had stood for more than 13 years.

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Pretorius Breaks Gayle’s Long-Standing Record

Lhuan-dre Pretorius entered the match as a young batter but left the field with one of the biggest records in T20 cricket. His unbeaten 188 surpassed Gayle’s 175 not out, scored for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in the 2013 Indian Premier League.

Gayle’s innings had remained the benchmark for the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket for more than a decade. Pretorius finally moved past that mark with an aggressive innings that combined powerful six-hitting with fast running between the wickets.

The South African reached his half-century in only 24 balls and completed his century from 40 deliveries.

A Strike Rate of Nearly 238

The Pretorius 188 innings came from just 79 deliveries, giving him a strike rate of 237.97. He struck 15 boundaries along the ground and cleared the ropes 13 times.

His 13 sixes were a major part of the record-breaking performance. Pretorius consistently attacked the bowlers and maintained a very high scoring rate throughout his innings.

Despite the enormous total, he remained unbeaten when the Titans completed their 20 overs. He finished just 12 runs short of becoming the first batter to score a double century in men’s T20 cricket.

Titans Post 267 Runs

Pretorius’ innings helped the Titans reach 267 for three in their 20 overs. The total gave the team a huge advantage before the Knights began their chase.

The Knights were unable to keep pace with the required scoring rate and were eventually defeated by 124 runs in Bloemfontein.

The margin of victory reflected the impact of Pretorius’ innings. The Titans had already established a huge total, and the Knights faced the difficult task of scoring at more than 13 runs per over from the beginning of their chase.

From Young Batter to T20 Record Holder

Pretorius is only 20 years old, making the achievement particularly notable. His record came in a domestic South African competition, showing the depth of talent emerging from the country’s cricket system.

The batter has already attracted attention for his aggressive approach and ability to score quickly. The record-breaking innings now gives him an important place in the history of the T20 format.

The performance also came in the CSA T20 Challenge, one of South Africa’s major domestic limited-overs competitions.

Three T20 Centuries for Pretorius

The Pretorius 188 was also his third T20 century. Reaching three hundreds at such a young age highlights his ability to convert starts into very large scores.

His latest century was significantly bigger than his previous T20 hundreds and came at an extraordinary scoring rate.

The innings also demonstrated the changing nature of modern T20 batting. Players increasingly target boundaries from the start of an innings, use different shots to attack bowlers and look for scoring options across the field.

How Pretorius Reached the Record

Pretorius began the innings quickly and reached his fifty in 24 balls. Rather than slowing down after reaching the milestone, he continued to attack and reached his century in just 40 balls.

The second half of his innings was even more destructive. He continued finding boundaries and reached 150 before moving towards the record.

Once he passed Gayle’s 175, the record belonged to Pretorius. He eventually finished on 188 not out from 79 balls.

His final score included 28 boundaries in total, with 15 fours and 13 sixes.

Gayle’s 175 Finally Surpassed

Chris Gayle’s 175 not out had become one of the most famous innings in T20 cricket. He scored the record while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors India in Bengaluru during the 2013 IPL.

Gayle’s innings came from 66 balls and included 13 fours and 17 sixes. It remained the highest individual score in men’s T20 cricket for years despite the rapid development of power-hitting in the format.

The record finally fell when Pretorius produced his 188 not out in South Africa.

A New Benchmark for T20 Cricket

The Pretorius 188 has set a new benchmark for individual batting in men’s T20 cricket. The innings also shows how quickly scoring standards have increased in the format since Gayle’s record was established in 2013.

With T20 leagues now played around the world and batters regularly producing high strike rates, the record could attract renewed attention whenever another player approaches the 180-run mark.

For now, Pretorius stands at the top with 188 not out, while Gayle’s 175 moves to second place on the list of the highest individual men’s T20 scores.