A 20-Year-Old Just Smashed Chris Gayle's T20 Record With An Unbeaten 188 — And The Numbers Are Unhinged

Stop scrolling, because a record that stood for 13 years just got absolutely obliterated — and the guy who did it is only 20.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius has broken Chris Gayle's record for the highest score in a men's T20 match, smashing an unbeaten 188 in a domestic game in South Africa, BBC Sport reports. Yes, really.

The Tea ☕

• Pretorius hit 188 not out off just 79 balls for the Titans against the Knights in the CSA T20 Challenge in Bloemfontein.
• That beats Gayle's 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in the 2013 IPL.
• The Titans piled up 267-3 and won by a thumping 124 runs.

Wait, How Many Sixes?

Let's talk numbers, because they are WILD. According to BBC Sport, the knock included 13 sixes and 15 fours, and finished with a strike rate of 237.97.

The pace of it is what has us screaming. He reached his half-century in 24 balls, then needed only 16 more deliveries to hit three figures. He was on 150 off just 58 balls.

Then he kept going. Because why stop at a hundred when you can rewrite the history books?

Gayle's Record Had Been Untouchable

Gayle's 175* was the stuff of legend. It's been the benchmark for men's T20 batting since 2013, a score people mostly talked about as something nobody would ever touch.

Cricinfo also notes it was Gayle's 175* in IPL 2013 that held the record until now. Thirteen years. Gone in one evening in Bloemfontein.

Who Is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?

Not a complete unknown. BBC Sport notes he has already played 17 T20s, three one-dayers and two Tests for South Africa, and has made a century in both a Test and a T20 for his country.

The Knights, for the record, were bowled out for 143 in 17.2 overs, so the Titans' win was never in doubt. Honestly, the Knights were just extras in someone else's blockbuster.

The Fine Print

One thing worth flagging: this came in a domestic fixture, not an international or a franchise league like the IPL. Expect a few cricket purists to argue about that in the replies. But a record is a record, and the men's T20 mark now belongs to Pretorius.

So the question: is this the greatest T20 innings ever played, or does the Gayle IPL knock still hold a special place in your heart? Sound off below. 🏏

Sources: BBC Sport | Cricinfo