Pretorius, the teen rising star of South Africa cricket

EVERY now and then, a young athlete grabs the eyeballs of an unsuspecting crowd like a supernova. In T20s, just because of the way the format works, it's almost instantaneous. Clips are uploaded and regurgitated across various platforms. Bonafide superstars and influencers are compelled to put out their two pence. Fans of the game rush to find the remote control thanks to FOMO.

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN @Gqeberha

All of this happened at Boland Park on the afternoon of January 11, three days into SA20s third edition. Batting first, Sunrisers Eastern Cape had made a perfectly acceptable 175/5. What followed over the next one hour and change was some of the most audacious strokeplay you could imagine from an 18-year-old. It's why Paarl Royals' Lhuandré Pretorius is already on his way to becoming one of the format's most in-demand batters. That he's a left-hander only adds value to his stock as that particular batting type at the top of the order is a point of difference.