Keshav Maharaj
South Africa
Keshav MaharajSouth Africa
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born
February 07, 1990 (35 years)
Birth Place
Durban, Natal
Nickname
Maharaj
Role
Bowler
Batting Style
Right Handed Bat
Bowling Style
Left-arm orthodox
RECENT FORM
TEAMS
South Africa, Dolphins, South Africa A, Pretoria Mavericks, South African Invitation XI, Lancashire, Durban Heat, Yorkshire, Durban Super Giants, Rajasthan Royals, Barbados Royals, Dubai Capitals, Pretoria Capitals
ICC RANKINGS
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Keshav Maharaj is a committed and wholehearted performer. A calculating left arm orthodox spinner who can bowl at any stage of the innings and a handy right-handed lower order batsman, Maharaj made his first-class debut at the age of 16 for KwaZulu-Natal in 2006-07. He was promoted to the Dolphins team in 2009-10.
He toured Bangladesh with the South Africa Academy in April-May 2010, taking 13 wickets in the two four-day matches against Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy. He also took 4 for 12 off four overs, opening the bowling, in one of the T20 matches. He played for South Africa A against the touring Bangladesh A team in 2010-11.
He played for Cuckfield in the Sussex Premier League in 2013. He signed to play as a professional for Nelson in the Lancashire League in 2015. He was included in the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.
A consistent performer, Maharaj strode into the national team on the back of a fine domestic season and was taken as the first-choice spinner on the tour of Australia in late 2016. A classical left-arm spinner, Maharaj has since then emerged as the ideal foil for South Africa's stellar pace attack. On helpful surfaces, he can be South Africa’s trump card, as reflected during the tour of New Zealand, where he emerged as South Africa's leading bowler with 15 wickets. He followed it up with 17 wickets from four Tests against England. An ODI debut followed in 2017 during South Africa’s tour to England and he was also included in the squad for 2017 Champions Trophy.
Maharaj played County Cricket in 2018 and 2019 representing Lancashire and Yorkshire respectively and enjoyed decent returns. The trajectory of his international career soared upwards as well and he’d become South Africa’s first choice spinner in red-ball cricket while also always being in the reckoning for the limited-overs formats. Maharaj registered his best figures in Test cricket, a startling 9-129, in the second Test of South Africa’s tour to Sri Lanka and became only the second left-arm spinner, after Rangana Herath, to claim 9 wickets in a Test innings.
Perhaps Maharaj’s greatest achievement came in 2021 when he became only the second South African to take a Test hat-trick. In the second Test of South Africa’s tour to the West Indies, Maharaj removed Keiron Powell, Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva off successive deliveries to script his place in history.
In a bizarre turn of events, Maharaj was named captain of South Africa for a T20 series in Sri Lanka despite not being capped in the format yet. Maharaj captained his team to victory on debut and even picked up a wicket off his very first delivery in T20I cricket. He went to be a part of South Africa’s squads for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and was named in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in 2023.
He toured Bangladesh with the South Africa Academy in April-May 2010, taking 13 wickets in the two four-day matches against Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy. He also took 4 for 12 off four overs, opening the bowling, in one of the T20 matches. He played for South Africa A against the touring Bangladesh A team in 2010-11.
He played for Cuckfield in the Sussex Premier League in 2013. He signed to play as a professional for Nelson in the Lancashire League in 2015. He was included in the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.
A consistent performer, Maharaj strode into the national team on the back of a fine domestic season and was taken as the first-choice spinner on the tour of Australia in late 2016. A classical left-arm spinner, Maharaj has since then emerged as the ideal foil for South Africa's stellar pace attack. On helpful surfaces, he can be South Africa’s trump card, as reflected during the tour of New Zealand, where he emerged as South Africa's leading bowler with 15 wickets. He followed it up with 17 wickets from four Tests against England. An ODI debut followed in 2017 during South Africa’s tour to England and he was also included in the squad for 2017 Champions Trophy.
Maharaj played County Cricket in 2018 and 2019 representing Lancashire and Yorkshire respectively and enjoyed decent returns. The trajectory of his international career soared upwards as well and he’d become South Africa’s first choice spinner in red-ball cricket while also always being in the reckoning for the limited-overs formats. Maharaj registered his best figures in Test cricket, a startling 9-129, in the second Test of South Africa’s tour to Sri Lanka and became only the second left-arm spinner, after Rangana Herath, to claim 9 wickets in a Test innings.
Perhaps Maharaj’s greatest achievement came in 2021 when he became only the second South African to take a Test hat-trick. In the second Test of South Africa’s tour to the West Indies, Maharaj removed Keiron Powell, Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva off successive deliveries to script his place in history.
In a bizarre turn of events, Maharaj was named captain of South Africa for a T20 series in Sri Lanka despite not being capped in the format yet. Maharaj captained his team to victory on debut and even picked up a wicket off his very first delivery in T20I cricket. He went to be a part of South Africa’s squads for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and was named in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in 2023.
Keshav MaharajSouth Africa
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born
February 07, 1990 (35 years)
Birth Place
Durban, Natal
Nickname
Maharaj
Role
Bowler
Batting Style
Right Handed Bat
Bowling Style
Left-arm orthodox
Related Articles
Related Articles
Maharaj the man for this season of South Africa's journey
Lower-order heroics hand South Africa upper hand as Pakistan stumble
Honours even after old-fashioned first day in Pindi
Maharaj ruled out of England T20Is with groin injury
Maharaj a man for all seasons, and formats
Keshav Maharaj ruled out of second Test against Zimbabwe
Batting Career Summary
| Test | ODI | T20 | IPL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 62 | 56 | 40 | 2 |
| Innings | 95 | 31 | 16 | 1 |
| Runs | 1334 | 324 | 103 | 1 |
| Balls | 2197 | 403 | 117 | 2 |
| Highest | 84 | 40 | 41 | 1 |
| Average | 15.33 | 14.09 | 10.3 | 1 |
| SR | 60.72 | 80.40 | 88.04 | 50.00 |
| Not Out | 8 | 8 | 6 | 0 |
| Fours | 153 | 37 | 6 | 0 |
| Sixes | 29 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| Ducks | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 50s | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 100s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 200s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 300s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 400s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bowling Career Summary
| Test | ODI | T20 | IPL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matches | 62 | 56 | 40 | 2 |
| Innings | 106 | 55 | 40 | 2 |
| Balls | 12308 | 2885 | 815 | 36 |
| Runs | 6370 | 2272 | 1007 | 39 |
| Maidens | 372 | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Wickets | 218 | 73 | 38 | 2 |
| Avg | 29.22 | 31.12 | 26.5 | 19.5 |
| Eco | 3.11 | 4.73 | 7.41 | 6.5 |
| SR | 56.46 | 39.52 | 21.45 | 18.0 |
| BBI | 9/129 | 5/33 | 3/27 | 2/23 |
| BBM | 12/283 | 5/33 | 3/27 | 2/23 |
| 4w | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 5w | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10w | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Timeline
Career Information
t20
Debut
vs Sri Lanka, 2021-09-10, R.Premadasa Stadium
Last Played
vs India, 2025-12-09, Barabati Stadium
test
Debut
vs Australia, 2016-11-03, W.A.C.A. Ground
Last Played
vs India, 2025-11-22, Barsapara Cricket Stadium
odi
Debut
vs England, 2017-05-27, The Rose Bowl
Last Played
vs India, 2025-12-06, ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium
ipl
Debut
vs Gujarat Titans, 2024-04-10, Sawai Mansingh Stadium
Last Played
vs Punjab Kings, 2024-04-13, Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur
cl
Debut
vs Perth Scorchers, 2014-09-20, Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium
Last Played
vs Lahore Lions, 2014-09-27, M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
SUMMARY
SUMMARY
Keshav Maharaj is a committed and wholehearted performer. A calculating left arm orthodox spinner who can bowl at any stage of the innings and a handy right-handed lower order batsman, Maharaj made his first-class debut at the age of 16 for KwaZulu-Natal in 2006-07. He was promoted to the Dolphins team in 2009-10.
He toured Bangladesh with the South Africa Academy in April-May 2010, taking 13 wickets in the two four-day matches against Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy. He also took 4 for 12 off four overs, opening the bowling, in one of the T20 matches. He played for South Africa A against the touring Bangladesh A team in 2010-11.
He played for Cuckfield in the Sussex Premier League in 2013. He signed to play as a professional for Nelson in the Lancashire League in 2015. He was included in the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.
A consistent performer, Maharaj strode into the national team on the back of a fine domestic season and was taken as the first-choice spinner on the tour of Australia in late 2016. A classical left-arm spinner, Maharaj has since then emerged as the ideal foil for South Africa's stellar pace attack. On helpful surfaces, he can be South Africa’s trump card, as reflected during the tour of New Zealand, where he emerged as South Africa's leading bowler with 15 wickets. He followed it up with 17 wickets from four Tests against England. An ODI debut followed in 2017 during South Africa’s tour to England and he was also included in the squad for 2017 Champions Trophy.
Maharaj played County Cricket in 2018 and 2019 representing Lancashire and Yorkshire respectively and enjoyed decent returns. The trajectory of his international career soared upwards as well and he’d become South Africa’s first choice spinner in red-ball cricket while also always being in the reckoning for the limited-overs formats. Maharaj registered his best figures in Test cricket, a startling 9-129, in the second Test of South Africa’s tour to Sri Lanka and became only the second left-arm spinner, after Rangana Herath, to claim 9 wickets in a Test innings.
Perhaps Maharaj’s greatest achievement came in 2021 when he became only the second South African to take a Test hat-trick. In the second Test of South Africa’s tour to the West Indies, Maharaj removed Keiron Powell, Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva off successive deliveries to script his place in history.
In a bizarre turn of events, Maharaj was named captain of South Africa for a T20 series in Sri Lanka despite not being capped in the format yet. Maharaj captained his team to victory on debut and even picked up a wicket off his very first delivery in T20I cricket. He went to be a part of South Africa’s squads for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and was named in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in 2023.
He toured Bangladesh with the South Africa Academy in April-May 2010, taking 13 wickets in the two four-day matches against Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy. He also took 4 for 12 off four overs, opening the bowling, in one of the T20 matches. He played for South Africa A against the touring Bangladesh A team in 2010-11.
He played for Cuckfield in the Sussex Premier League in 2013. He signed to play as a professional for Nelson in the Lancashire League in 2015. He was included in the KwaZulu-Natal cricket team squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.
A consistent performer, Maharaj strode into the national team on the back of a fine domestic season and was taken as the first-choice spinner on the tour of Australia in late 2016. A classical left-arm spinner, Maharaj has since then emerged as the ideal foil for South Africa's stellar pace attack. On helpful surfaces, he can be South Africa’s trump card, as reflected during the tour of New Zealand, where he emerged as South Africa's leading bowler with 15 wickets. He followed it up with 17 wickets from four Tests against England. An ODI debut followed in 2017 during South Africa’s tour to England and he was also included in the squad for 2017 Champions Trophy.
Maharaj played County Cricket in 2018 and 2019 representing Lancashire and Yorkshire respectively and enjoyed decent returns. The trajectory of his international career soared upwards as well and he’d become South Africa’s first choice spinner in red-ball cricket while also always being in the reckoning for the limited-overs formats. Maharaj registered his best figures in Test cricket, a startling 9-129, in the second Test of South Africa’s tour to Sri Lanka and became only the second left-arm spinner, after Rangana Herath, to claim 9 wickets in a Test innings.
Perhaps Maharaj’s greatest achievement came in 2021 when he became only the second South African to take a Test hat-trick. In the second Test of South Africa’s tour to the West Indies, Maharaj removed Keiron Powell, Jason Holder and Joshua da Silva off successive deliveries to script his place in history.
In a bizarre turn of events, Maharaj was named captain of South Africa for a T20 series in Sri Lanka despite not being capped in the format yet. Maharaj captained his team to victory on debut and even picked up a wicket off his very first delivery in T20I cricket. He went to be a part of South Africa’s squads for both the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and was named in South Africa’s 15-man squad for the Cricket World Cup in 2023.