The South African team continued their excellent run in red-ball cricket as they recently secured a 2-0 whitewash against Zimbabwe after winning the World Test Championship (WTC Final 2025) last month. Notably, the Proteas went with a second-fiddle team and makeshift skippers for the Zimbabwe series to give the regulars a rest. This also gave a number of youngsters an opportunity to showcase their mettle and make an impact in the national jersey
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139/3
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One particular talent who impressed was Rajasthan Royals (RR) youngster Lhuan-dre Pretorius. Playing his maiden Test series, the 19-year-old slammed a century in the very first innings of the first Test. The promising left-hander registered a record-breaking 153, giving a testament to his temperament and skillset. The INR 30 lakh replacement signing by RR again dazzled in the second ZIM vs SA Test, registering a fifty and finished on 78.
Given his stellar show, South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has now hinted that the Royals talent is now in contention for a spot during their India tour later this year.
Echoing on the same lines, Conrad said while speaking to the media after SA beat Zimbabwe in the second Test,
“Lhu is a special talent. Without jumping the gun, it is hard to ignore what he has done here. He is definitely in the discussion for the sub-continent later”
South Africa is slated to play an all-format tour in India, which will start off with a two-Test leg from November 14. It will then be followed by a white-ball series, which includes three ODIs and five T20Is.
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The South African youngster, who was roped in as an injury replacement for Nitish Rana in IPL 2025 has already given glimpses of his abilities. Prior to IPL, he was also associated with the Royals family when he played for the Paarl Royals in the SA20 2025 season earlier this year. Lhuan played a clinical role in their top-two finish and qualification for the playoffs, scoring 397 runs in 12 games and finishing as the top-scorer of the tournament.
It is no doubt that Rajasthan sees Pretorius as a future franchise talent they are grooming and are likely to retain him for IPL 2026. Furthermore, if he travels later this year for the IND vs SA and manages to impress, it will strengthen his retention chances even more.
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