Who is Lhuan-dré Pretorius? South Africa teenager rescues team on Test debut vs Zimbabwe

Weeks after their World Test Championship triumph over Australia, South Africa has travelled to Zimbabwe for a two-match Test series that began in Bulawayo on June 28.

After winning the toss and batting first, the inexperienced South African batting line-up had their backs against the wall with 23/3 and 55/4 on the board through a 3-fer for Tanaka Chivanga and a run-out early on Day 1.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius scored a crucial and quick fifty on debut and then scored his maiden century while batting at number 5, with David Bedingham replacing Temba Bavuma at 4. With a century in his first-ever Test Pretorius became the youngest South African to score a red-ball hundred, beating legendary Graeme Pollock's record.

Follow The Sporting News India on WhatsApp

He also added 95(88) for the 5th wicket with another debutant, Dewald Brevis. See who is Pretorius, who bailed the Proteas out on Day 1 vs Zimbabwe.

Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius? The teenager rescues South Africa vs Zimbabwe

Making his Test debut at just 19, Pretorius is a left-handed wicketkeeper batter who often opens the batting in white-ball cricket.

Hailing from Potchefstroom, the youngster burst onto the scene in the U19 World Cup in 2024, where he was named in the ICC Team of the tournament for his 287 runs in 6 innings with the help of 3 fifties.

READ MORE: When is India vs England 2nd Test starting?

In the last couple of years, he has also made his debuts in the SA20 league for Paarl Royals, scoring 397 runs at a strike rate of 166.80 and Vitality Blast for Hampshire, where he batted in 3 matches and scored 110 runs at a strike rate of 141.02.

First appearance in Tests, first half-century notched. Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, ladies and gents 🫡🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/ldgF0jUFUu

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) June 28, 2025

He also played in the Indian Premier League for the Rajasthan Royals; however, not get a chance to bat.

His Test debut was facilitated in the absence of Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram in the batting lineup, and he is currently batting at 91*(98) as SA are 193/6 in the 2nd session.

What is Lhuan-dre Pretorius' record in FC cricket?

In his short first-class career of 7 matches, the southpaw has scored 485 runs at an impressive average of 60.62 and 3 centuries and a fifty to his name.