He made a sensational debut in the SA20 2025.
The South African 18-year-old wicket-keeper Lhuan-Dre Pretorius has built a reputation as one of the country’s most exciting young talent.
Representing the Paarl Royals in the SA20 2025, he made his debut in the match against Sunrisers Eastern Cape earlier today (January 11) and made an immediate impact. Lhuan lit up the third season of SA20 with a sensational knock of 97, coming at a blistering strike rate of 190.19 and helped the Royals win the match by a big margin of 9 wickets.
Lhuan-Dre Pretorius showed his batting prowess in the 2024 U19 Cricket World Cup by scoring 287 runs in six games for the Proteas at an average of 57.40 and a strike rate of 94.09, with three half-centuries.
He was the sixth highest run-scorer of the tournament and the highest for the Proteas. More impressively, he hit all 3 half-centuries consecutively.
His performances took him and his team into the semi-final, wherein he scored 76 runs against India though they lost that match. The U19 World Cup proved to be an ideal opening to dream big for the youngster.
Lhuan-Dre Pretorius made his first-class debut for the Titans in December 2024 against the Warriors, impressing everyone with a brilliant 120 in the first innings where he batted at No.6.
He has played only one first-class game so far. In List A cricket, he has played six matches where he scored 261 runs at an average of 43.50 with a strike rate of 101.55. His highest score is 97 and has scored three half-centuries.
In T20s, Pretorius has played 21 matches, scoring 514 runs at a strike rate of 134.90, with a highest score of 82. While his T20 stats don’t fully reflect his potential, he is a much better player than those numbers suggest.
His batting position in first-class cricket shows that he can adapt and be used anywhere in the order.
Looking at the Paarl Royals squad for this edition, it’s likely that Lhuan-Dre Pretorius will be a consistent part of the playing XI as an opener and his debut performance will further back his cause. With experienced players like David Miller, Dinesh Karthik, and Joe Root in the team, he has a great opportunity to learn from them.
As a wicketkeeper, he can especially benefit from working alongside Dinesh Karthik. Lhuan was part of the squad in the previous edition, but he couldn’t play due to the U19 World Cup. However, he was happy to be retained by the franchise.
“It was a pity last year that it was the U19 World Cup. But it’s great that I have been retained, for them to show trust in me, and them backing me means a lot. I am quite excited about it,” he told Betway SA20 after getting retained.
He will be playing alongside his U19 teammate Kwena Maphaka, with whom he shares a special friendship.
“We have a strong relationship. His journey has, of course, gone quickly the past couple of months. I am very proud of him and excited for what’s to come,” he said.
Also Read: Meet Jordan Hermann, the 22-Year-Old Sunrisers Talent Who Looks Set to Top the SA20 2025 Run Charts
If Lhuan-Dre Pretorius plays well in SA20 2025, then he may get noticed by the South African cricket selectors. Being a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter, he has all the potential to walk into the shoes of Quinton de Kock.
His versatility allows him to bat anywhere in the line-up, giving him a big advantage. With his talent and flexibility, he could fit anywhere and may eventually be a key player and a future star for South African cricket.
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