IPL 2025: Rajasthan Royals sign South African talent Lhuan-dre Pretorius as replacement for Injured Nitish Rana

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals (RR) announced on Thursday that South African batting talent Lhuan-dre Pretorius will replace the injured Nitish Rana for the remaining Indian Premier League (IPL) matches this season.RR currently stand ninth in the table with six points from three victories and nine defeats, eliminating them from playoff contention.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. "Rajasthan Royals (RR) have named Lhuan-dre Pretorius as a replacement for Nitish Rana, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 due to injury," said a statement from the IPL.Pretorius has joinned RR at his base price of Rs 30 Lakh.During his 11 appearances for RR this season, Rana accumulated 217 runs with an average of 21.70 and a strike rate approaching 162, including two half-centuries and a highest score of 81 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK).In his T20 career, Pretorius has participated in 33 matches, accumulating 911 runs at an average of 27.60 and a strike rate of 147.17, including six fifties and a top score of 97. He gained recognition during last year's ICC U19 World Cup, leading South Africa's batting with 287 runs across six matches, averaging 57.40 with a strike rate of 94.09 and three half-centuries. His highest score was 76.Pretorius also represents Paarl Royals, RR's sister franchise in South Africa's SA20 league. In the 2025 season, he led the run-scoring charts with 397 runs in 12 matches, maintaining an average of 33.08 and a strike rate of 166.80, including three fifties and a top score of 97.RR will face Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their next fixture at Chepauk Stadium on May 12.