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Keshav Maharaj

Keshav Maharaj

Age 35South AfricaSOUTH AFRICA
Right Handed All Rounder

Marking his ancestry from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and hailing from the Natal Province of South Africa, Keshav Maharaj boasts crafty bowling skills as a left-arm orthodox. At a time when South African cricket was beginning to embrace spin bowling with newfound appreciation, Keshav Maharaj emerged as a promising left-arm spinner from Northwood Boys High School, an institution that had previously produced the legendary Shaun Pollock.



Keshav Maharaj's journey in professional cricket began remarkably early, making his first-class debut for KwaZulu-Natal as a teenage prodigy at just 16 years of age in the 2006-07 season. His talent continued to flourish, and by 2009-10, he had earned his place in the Dolphins squad, marking his progression through South Africa's domestic cricket structure.



A significant milestone in his development came when he was selected for South Africa A's tour to Bangladesh in 2010. Maharaj made the most of this opportunity, by claiming an impressive haul of 13 wickets across two four-day matches against the Bangladesh Cricket Board team.
After dominating the domestic circuit with exceptional performances in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, Keshav Maharaj earned his coveted Test cap for South Africa in 2016. Making his debut against Australia at Perth as the nation's 327th Test player, he announced his arrival with a three-wicket haul. His progression continued steadily, and in 2017, he reached his first significant milestone in Test cricket, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul against New Zealand.



The year 2017 proved to be pivotal for Maharaj as he expanded his international repertoire, making his ODI debut against England and securing a spot in South Africa's Champions Trophy squad. However, it was in 2018 that he produced one of the most remarkable performances of his career. During the second Test against Sri Lanka, Maharaj etched his name in the record books with extraordinary figures of 9 for 129, not only his personal best but also the finest bowling figures by any visiting bowler in Test matches played in Sri Lanka and all of Asia. Also becoming the only second left-arm spinner after Rangana Herath to claim 9 wickets in a Test inning.



2021 proved to be a landmark year in Keshav Maharaj's career, filled with historic moments and new milestones. In June, he achieved something that had eluded South African cricketers for over six decades – a Test hat-trick. This feat was particularly special as it was only the second Test hat-trick by a South African bowler, coming 61 years after Geoff Griffin's achievement at Lord's in 1960.



Even more remarkably, Maharaj's journey took an unexpected turn when he was selected for South Africa's 2021 T20 World Cup squad, despite having never played a T20 International. His T20I debut came in September that year against Sri Lanka, where he not only led the team as captain but also made an instant impact by claiming a wicket with his very first delivery in the format.



He has remained as an inseparable part of the Proteas squad, featuring in almost every ICC tournament, including the World Cup 2023 where his career peak arrived as he not only became the Number 1 ranked ODI bowler in the ICC rankings but also proved to be very economical throughout the tournament, with wicket-taking consistency. He also featured in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 where he yet again proved to be a crucial bowler.



These accomplishments highlighted Maharaj's versatility as a spinner and his growing importance in South African cricket across all formats. Stepping into the franchise cricket, Maharaj has represented in almost all major franchise tournaments mapping the world, be it playing for Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League, and also proving himself in the Bangladesh Premier League playing for the Fortune Barishal. He made his Indian T20 League debut in the year 2024 playing for the Rajasthan franchise. Growing as a key player, Maharaj has been given the leading duties for Durban’s Super Giants in South Africa’s own SA20 League.
 

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Keshav Maharaj Ranking
bat
Batting
N/AODI115TEST629T20
ball
Bowling
N/AODI16TEST28T20
Teams
  • South AfricaSouth Africa
  • defaultDolphins
  • defaultKwaZulu Natal
  • defaultLancashire
  • defaultSouth Africa A
  • defaultYorkshire
  • Rajasthan RoyalsRajasthan Royals
  • defaultSouth Africa Emerging
  • defaultBarbados Royals
  • defaultPretoria Mavericks
  • defaultDurban Heat
  • defaultFortune Barishal
  • defaultDurban's Super Giants
  • defaultDallas Lonestars CC

Match Results

Upcoming Matches

Keshav Maharaj Statistics

Debut
South Africa vs England on May 27, 2017
Last
South Africa vs Pakistan on Feb 12, 2025
Debut
South Africa vs Australia on Nov 03, 2016
Last
South Africa vs Pakistan on Jan 03, 2025
Debut
South Africa vs Sri Lanka on Sep 10, 2021
Last
South Africa vs India on Nov 15, 2024
Debut
Rajasthan Royals vs Gujarat Titans on Apr 10, 2024
Last
Rajasthan Royals vs Punjab Kings on Apr 13, 2024

Keshav Maharaj Batting Records

MatR50s100sAvgS/R
452380013.2282.63
Highest Runs40
Balls Faced37
On DateOct 17, 23
AgainstNetherlandsNED

Keshav Maharaj Bowling Records

MatOWAvgS/REco
45379.25531.6341.384.58
Wickets Taken4
Runs33
On DateSep 17, 23
AgainstAustraliaAUS

Keshav Maharaj Fielding Records

CatchesStumpingsRun Outs
901
Mat: Matches, R: Runs, W: Wickets, O: Overs, S/R: Strike Rate, Eco: Economy Rate, Avg: Average

Keshav Maharaj Batting Records

MatR50s100sAvgS/R
5712135014.9760.89
Highest Runs84
Balls Faced95
On DateApr 08, 22
AgainstBangladeshBAN

Keshav Maharaj Bowling Records

MatOWAvgS/REco
571891.419829.6857.323.10
Wickets Taken9
Runs129
On DateJul 20, 18
AgainstSri LankaSL

Keshav Maharaj Fielding Records

CatchesStumpingsRun Outs
2101
Mat: Matches, R: Runs, W: Wickets, O: Overs, S/R: Strike Rate, Eco: Economy Rate, Avg: Average

Keshav Maharaj Batting Records

MatR50s100sAvgS/R
391030011.4489.56
Highest Runs41
Balls Faced35
On DateSep 28, 22
AgainstIndiaIND

Keshav Maharaj Bowling Records

MatOWAvgS/REco
39133.53825.8421.137.33
Wickets Taken3
Runs27
On DateJun 10, 24
AgainstBangladeshBAN

Keshav Maharaj Fielding Records

CatchesStumpingsRun Outs
1400
Mat: Matches, R: Runs, W: Wickets, O: Overs, S/R: Strike Rate, Eco: Economy Rate, Avg: Average

Keshav Maharaj Batting Records

MatR50s100sAvgS/R
21001.0050.00
Highest Runs1
Balls Faced2
On DateApr 13, 24
AgainstPunjab KingsPBKS

Keshav Maharaj Bowling Records

MatOWAvgS/REco
26219.5018.006.50
Wickets Taken2
Runs23
On DateApr 13, 24
AgainstPunjab KingsPBKS

Keshav Maharaj Fielding Records

CatchesStumpingsRun Outs
100
Mat: Matches, R: Runs, W: Wickets, O: Overs, S/R: Strike Rate, Eco: Economy Rate, Avg: Average
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