Meet Matthew Breetzke: LSG’s South African IPL star who became first batter to score 150 runs on ODI debut

Matthew Breetzke scripted history on Monday as the South African became the first batter in the history to score 150 runs on ODI debut. Matthew Breetzke's knock came against New Zealand in the second match of the Tri-Nation series at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, also involving hosts Pakistan. It was South Africa's first match in the series.

Sent into bat first, Matthew Breetzke steered the South African innings with his calm and composed approach. He found the gaps with much ease and for once didn't show a hurried approach.

He brought up his fifty in 68 balls and stitched a 93-run stand with Jamie Smith for the second wicket. Playing his first ODI, the right-hander made most use of the start he got to reach the double figures in 128 deliveries.

Following his hundred, Matthew Breetzke upped his ante to reach his 150 in 147 balls. In the process, he broke the record by Desmond Haynes' 148 runs back in 1978. The highest score on debut by a South African cricketer before Matthew Breetzke was held by Colin Ingram's 124 against Zimbabwe in 2010.

Highest scores on ODI debut

What's Matthew Breetzke background?

Matthew Breetzke's first break came at the age of 14 when he was selected for the first team of Grey High. Two years later, he was already a crucial member of the South Africa’s U-19 squad with over 1000 runs in 25 youth ODIs. He got limelight during the 2018 U-19 World Cup when Matthew Breetzke finished the tournament as South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer.

Gradually, Matthew Breetzke got better and played a pivotal role for Eastern Province in the 2018-19 season. His breakthrough moment came in the 2022-23 CSA four-day first-class competition, where Matthew Breetzke smashed three centuries and four fifties in 14 innings.

Matthew Breetzke's aggressive batting approach at the top of the order made him one of the valuable assets in T20 cricket. He made his senior team debut against Australia in 2023. In the 2024 SA20, Matthew Breetzke finished third among highest run-getters and also topped the list of batters with most runs in the CSA T20 Challenge the same year.

Matthew Breetzke's stellar rise also saw him grab a deal with the Lucknow Super Giants when the franchise bought the batter for ₹57 lakh during the IPL 2025 mega auction in Saudi Arabia.