RR sign SA20 sensation as injured Nitish Rana's replacement for IPL 2025

Rajasthan Royals (RR) have roped in wicket-keeper batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius from their sister franchise, Paarl Royals (RR), in the SA20 as a replacement for the injured Nitish Rana in the Indian Premier League (2025) season. The 19-year-old was the leading run-getter in the SA20 2025 season, recording 397 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 166.80.

RR stand-in skipper Riyan Parag had mentioned that Nitish Rana was dealing with an injury, forcing his exclusion in the recent away clash against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). On that occasion, wicket-keeper batter Kunal Singh Rathore was handed his debut. However, he failed to make an impact with a five-ball duck during the run chase.

RR confirmed the emerging Proteas wicket-keeper batter as their replacement on Thursday, May 8, with a handful of matches still remaining in the season.

"Rajasthan Royals (RR) have named Lhuan-dre Pretorius as a replacement for Nitish Rana, who has been ruled out of the remainder of TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 due to injury. South Africa's Lhuan-dre Pretorius has played 33 T20s and scored 911 runs with a highest score of 97. He will join RR for his base price of INR 30 Lakh," a statement on iplt20.com read.

RR are scheduled to face the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday, May 12, before concluding their campaign with a home clash against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) on May 16.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius burst into the spotlight with a stunning 97 on SA20 2025 debut ahead of RR stint

The Paarl Royals had a relatively unorthodox opening combination at the start of SA20 2025, with the unproven youngster Lhuan-dre Pretorius sharing the crease with the traditional veteran Joe Root. However, the pair clicked instantly, putting up 132 runs in their very first partnership together.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius was close to scoring a hundred on debut, but was dismissed on 97 by Marco Jansen in the clash against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape. The left-handed batter comes across as the right fit for a modern-day opener, given his destructive ability to take down bowlers in the powerplay and beyond.

Since the breakthrough season for the Paarl Royals in SA20 2025, the opening batter has been playing domestic cricket for the Titans. He was the fourth-leading run-scorer in the CSA Provincial One-Day Challenge Division One, recording 316 runs in eight innings at an average of 45.14, and a strike rate of 120.15.