18-year-old South African prospect Lhuan-dre Pretorius has signed with Hampshire to play in the 2025 T20 Blast, the county confirmed on Friday (February 14).

Hampshire has signed the young opener Lhuan-dre Pretorius as one of their overseas players for this year's Vitality Blast. While he has not yet received a senior cap for South Africa, he was the leading run-scorer in the just-concluded SA20 tournament.

Pretorius is recognized for his hostile left-handed batting and wicket-keeping capabilities. He played his first T20 match last year after gaining recognition for South Africa in the Under-19 World Cup. At present, he averages 27.60 with a strike rate of 147.17 in the format.

Left-hand wicketkeeper-batter, who will be 19 next month, made headlines on his SA20 debut for the Paarl Royals after scoring 97 against the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in a match which he shared with star England player Joe Root. Their coach is Adi Birrell, who is also the coach for Hampshire.

After his stellar debut, Dre Pretorius finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer, scoring a total of 397 runs at a strike rate of 166.80. He was also South Africa's highest run-scorer in the U19 World Championships last year.

It is a true privilege to represent the Hampshire Hawks during this year's Vitality Blast as it is my first time playing cricket in England," Pretorius said. "The team has so many thrilling players that I would be thrilled to play with and share the dressing room with as we hope to lift the trophy.

Hampshire, which won the Blast in 2022, were seventh in the South Group last year, failing to make the knockout stages for the first time in four seasons.

Giles White, Hampshire cricket director, said: "Lhuan-dre impressed us with his batting in the previous SA20, producing a string of eye-catching performances against some of the top bowlers on the planet. He is a special talent and has a promising future, and we are excited to welcome him to the Vitality Blast this season."