In the exciting opening of the SA20 2025 season, aged 18 Juan-dre Pretorius hit the headlines with his sensational debut performance for Paarl Royals v Sunrisers Eastern Cape On Saturday, January 11. His explosive knock of 97 off just 51 balls won widespread acclaim, including praise from the England Test captain. Ben Stokes.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius: A Star Is Born
He took the field with experienced players like Pretorius Joe RootHe displayed remarkable talent and confidence, reminiscent of the cricketing greats. After a cautious start, he accelerated his scoring by hitting 10 fours and 6 sixes during his innings. His knock was instrumental in setting up a successful run chase for the Royals, who needed just 44 runs with nine wickets in hand when he was dismissed.
How about a shipment 🚀 @DP_World Shipping of the day. #BetwaySA20 #PRvSEC #welcome incredible pic.twitter.com/P9vEu6cH36
— Betway SA20 (@SA20_League) January 11, 2025
In his post-match comments, Pretorius described his experience “A dream come true.” He expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn from established players like Root. “I just try to be like a sponge and soak it all in.”
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Ben Stokes’ reaction
Stokes took to social media to praise Pretorius’ performance, stressing the importance of franchise cricket in giving young talent the opportunity to shine on the big stages. He tweeted, “One of the many things franchise cricket does is give young/inexperienced but incredibly talented players opportunities on the biggest stage against the best in the world and show how good they are. Juan-dre Pretorius is doing it right now.”
One of the many things franchise cricket does is give young/inexperienced but incredibly talented players opportunities on the biggest stage against the world’s best and show how good they are.
Juan-dre Pretorius is doing it right now 👏— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) January 11, 2025
Pretorius is not new to competitive cricket; he previously excelled in the Under-19 World Cup and made waves in the domestic T20 leagues. His performance in this match not only marked his SA20 debut but also highlighted his potential as one of South Africa’s promising young cricketers. Given his impressive start and the recognition he has received, many are optimistic about Pretorius’ future in cricket. If he continues to develop this pace, he could soon be representing South Africa at the highest level.
