Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
Rajasthan Royals have officially named South African youngster Lhuan-dre Pretorius as a replacement for Nitish Rana, who has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 due to injury. While the Royals are already out of playoff contention, the move signals their intent to scout emerging talent ahead of future seasons.
Pretorius, a left-handed wicketkeeper-batter, has turned heads with his performances in the SA20 league. He was the top scorer in the 2025 edition, racking up 397 runs in 12 games at a blistering strike rate of 166.80. His form earned him a contract with the Royals for INR 30 lakh. He will offer both depth and excitement in the batting lineup.
🇿🇦 Fearless. Power-packed. Royal!
You’ve seen him in Pink — and you’ll see him soon in IPL 2025. 🔥
Lhuan dre Pretorius steps in for Nitish Rana, who’s healing from a calf injury. Speedy recovery, Nitish bhai! 💗 pic.twitter.com/B2JzFUlKZo
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 8, 2025
Despite not yet debuting internationally, he has already proven his mettle in domestic and franchise cricket, including for the Paarl Royals and the Titans. In 33 T20s, he has amassed 911 runs with a personal best of 97.
The youngster was also South Africa’s top performer in the 2024 U-19 World Cup and is widely regarded as one of the country’s most promising young talents. In six matches, he scored 287 runs at an average of 57.40 and a strike rate of 94.09, including three half-centuries with a top score of 76.
Nitish Rana, who has been ruled out due to injury, played 11 matches this season, scoring 217 runs with two half-centuries. His standout innings include a blazing 81 off 36 balls against CSK and a 51-run knock against Delhi Capitals. Across his IPL career, Rana has scored 2853 runs in 118 matches.
With just three wins in 12 games, Rajasthan Royals are currently placed ninth in the points table, alongside other eliminated teams like SRH and CSK. Their remaining fixtures include matches against Chennai Super Kings on May 12 at Chennai and Punjab Kings on May 16 at Jaipur.
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