Rajasthan Royals (RR) have signed uncapped South African batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius as a replacement for Nitish Rana, who has been ruled out of the remainder of IPL 2025 due to injury. Pretorius joins RR for INR 30 lakh.
Who is Lhuan-dre Pretorius?
The 19-year-old left-hand opener and wicketkeeper made headlines at the SA20 2025, finishing as the leading run-scorer with 397 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 166.80.
He played a standout knock of 97 off 51 balls for Paarl Royals against Sunrisers Eastern Cape, and was later picked up by Hampshire for the Vitality Blast in England.
Pretorius also impressed at the 2024 Under-19 World Cup, where he was South Africa’s top run-getter.
Nitish Rana’s Impact for RR in 2025
Before his injury, Rana had contributed two significant knocks:
- 81 off 36 balls vs CSK in Guwahati
- 51 off 28 balls vs DC in Delhi
Despite these efforts, RR struggled throughout the season and have been knocked out of playoff contention, alongside Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
RR currently sit 9th on the points table with just 3 wins in 12 matches.
Remaining Matches for RR
- 🆚 CSK in Chennai – May 12
- 🆚 PBKS in Jaipur – May 16
These will be opportunities for RR to test their bench and for Pretorius to potentially make his IPL debut.
Stay tuned for all the latest Cricket news, match highlights, player analysis, and viral moments!