RR named Lhuan-dre Pretorius as Nitish Rana replacement

Rajasthan Royals have signed 19-year-old South African wicketkeeper-batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius as a replacement for the injured Nitish Rana for the remainder of the IPL 2025 season. Rana, who missed RR’s recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders due to a calf injury, has been ruled out of the tournament. Pretorius joins RR at his base price of INR 30 lakh. He gained prominence during the 2025 SA20 season, where he was the leading run-scorer with 397 runs from 12 matches at a striking rate of 166.81, playing for Paarl Royals—RR’s sister franchise in South Africa. In his T20 career so far, Pretorius has amassed 911 runs in 33 matches, including six half-centuries, with a highest score of 97. Despite being out of playoff contention, RR is looking ahead by integrating young talents like Pretorius into their squad. His aggressive left-handed batting style and wicketkeeping skills add depth to the team’s lineup. It remains to be seen whether he will open the innings or be utilized in the middle order. In addition to Pretorius, RR has also brought in South African pacer Nandre Burger as a replacement for Sandeep Sharma, who sustained a finger injury.