Keshav Maharaj

Keshav Maharaj
Maharaj bowling for Yorkshire in 2019
Personal information
Full name
Keshav Athmanand Maharaj
Born (1990-02-07) 7 February 1990 (age 34)
Durban, South Africa
Height178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RoleBowler
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 327)3 November 2016 v Australia
Last Test8 March 2023 v West Indies
ODI debut (cap 120)27 May 2017 v England
Last ODI5 November 2023 v India
ODI shirt no.16
T20I debut (cap 94)10 September 2021 v Sri Lanka
Last T20I3 September 2023 v Australia
T20I shirt no.16
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2006–presentKwaZulu-Natal
2009–presentDolphins
2018Lancashire
2018–presentDurban Heat
2019Yorkshire
2023Durban's Super Giants
2024Rajasthan Royals
2024Fortune Barishal
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 50 44 156 141
Runs scored 1135 1686 3971 947
Batting average 15.33 30.65 20.05 29.33
100s/50s 0/5 0/0 2/17 0/1
Top score 84 40 114* 50*
Balls bowled 9575 2216 31766 6815
Wickets 158 55 586 182
Bowling average 32.00 13.22 20.05 16.05
5 wickets in innings 9 0 37 2
10 wickets in match 1 0 8 0
Best bowling 9/129 4/33 9/129 5/34
Catches/stumpings 16/0 9/0 58/0 47/0
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 7 January 2024

Keshav Athmanand Maharaj (born 7 February 1990) is a South African professional cricketer. Maharaj represents the South Africa national team in Tests, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket. He is currently the vice-captain of the side in limited overs cricket. Maharaj also captains Durban's Super Giants in the SA20.

He is a left-arm orthodox spin bowler and lower-order batsman. He made his debut in first-class cricket for KwaZulu-Natal in 2006 and Test debut for South Africa in November 2016.[1] He represents Dolphins in domestic cricket and Durban's Super Giants in SA20.[2]

In September 2021, Maharaj captained South Africa for the first time in ODIs against Sri Lanka.[3] He also made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in the same month while also captaining the team in his debut match.[4] Maharaj became the second bowler from South Africa to take a hat-trick in a Test match in June 2021 against West Indies.[5]

Early and personal life

Keshav Maharaj was born on 7 February 1990 in a Hindu family to Athmanand Maharaj and Kanchan Mala in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.[6] Maharaj is of Indian ancestry, his great-grandfather hailed from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India and migrated to Durban in 1874 as an indentured labourer.[7] His father played as a wicket keeper for KwaZulu-Natal. He has a sister Tarisma Mahesan.[7]

In April 2022, Maharaj married his longtime girlfriend Lerisha Munsamy, a kathak dancer.[8][9]

Domestic career

Maharaj made his first-class debut at the age of 16 for KwaZulu-Natal during the 2006–07 season.[10] In 2009-10, he represented the Dolphins team.[2] Maharaj toured Bangladesh with the South Africa A team in April–May 2010, taking 13 wickets in the two four-day matches against Bangladesh Cricket Board team. He also took 4 for 12 off four overs, opening the bowling, in one of the T20 matches.[11] He also played for South Africa A against the touring Bangladesh A team in 2010–11.

In the 2012–13 domestic season, Maharaj has his best season with the bat when he made 481 first-class runs at an average of 48.1 including two centuries.[12] He scored 114 runs off 119 balls and took 5 wickets in a match against Northerns.[13]

Maharaj played for Cuckfield in the Sussex Premier League in 2013, and as Nelson's professional in the Lancashire League in 2015.[14] For Dolphins against the Cape Cobras in 2014–15, Maharaj took his best innings and match figures to that point: 6 for 58 and 10 for 145. Dolphins won, and he received the man of the match award.[15] He finished the season with 44 first-class wickets at an average of 26.18.[16] He was included in the KwaZulu-Natal squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.[17]

In the first match of the 2016–17 season, playing for the Dolphins against the Warriors, Maharaj scored 72 then took 7 for 89 and 6 for 68 in an innings victory for the Dolphins, the first time he had taken seven wickets in an innings or 13 wickets in a match.[18]

In October 2018, Maharaj was named in Durban Heat's squad for the first edition of the Mzansi Super League T20 tournament.[19][20] After appearing for Lancashire in 2018, Maharaj played five matches for Yorkshire in the 2019 County Championship, taking 38 wickets at an average of 18.92, as the team finished in 5th place.[21] In September 2019, Maharaj was named in the squad for the Durban Heat team for the 2019 Mzansi Super League tournament.[22] In April 2021, he was named in KwaZulu-Natal's squad, ahead of the 2021–22 cricket season in South Africa.[23]

On 27 February 2023, he joined Middlesex on an overseas registration for the LV= County Championship and the Vitality t20 Blast competitions but was later forced to withdraw due to an achilles tendon injury.[24]

International career

Debut and early years

In October 2016, Maharaj was named in South Africa's squad for their series against Australia. He made his Test debut against the Australia on 3 November 2016 and picked up three wickets.[25] He was the first specialist spinner to make his Test debut at Perth.[26]

On 10 March 2017, Maharaj took his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests against New Zealand.[27] This was only the seventh five-for by a South African spinner in Tests against New Zealand.[28] In April 2017, Maharaj was named in South Africa's One Day International (ODI) squad for their series against England and the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.[29][30] He made his ODI debut for South Africa against England on 27 May 2017.[31] In May 2017, Maharaj was named International Newcomer of the Year at Cricket South Africa's annual awards.[32] In October 2017, he took his 50th wicket in Tests, during the first Test against Bangladesh.[33]

Middle years

In July 2018, during the second Test match against Sri Lanka, Maharaj registered his best Test bowling figures in an innings of 9 for 129 and also registered the best ever bowling figures in a Test innings by a visiting bowler in Sri Lanka.[34] He also recorded the best ever bowling figures in a Test innings by a South African in Asia.[35][36] His figures of 9 for 129 are the second-best bowling figures by a South African in an innings of a Test after Hugh Tayfield and the best Test bowling figures by a South African since readmission to international cricket in 1991.[37][38] He became the second left-arm spinner, after Rangana Herath, to claim 9 wickets in a test innings.[39] In August 2018, Maharaj was named in South Africa's Twenty20 International (T20I) squad for the one-off match against Sri Lanka, but he did not play in the fixture.[40] In October 2019, during the series against India, Maharaj took his 100th wicket in Test cricket.[41]

In November 2020, Maharaj was named in South Africa's squad for their limited overs series against England.[42][43] On 21 June 2021, Maharaj took South Africa's second ever Test hat-trick, and first since Geoff Griffin at Lord's in 1960, during the fourth day of the second Test match of South Africa's tour of the West Indies.[44][45] In September 2021, Maharaj was named in South Africa's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup despite being uncapped in T20Is.[46][47] He made his T20I debut on 10 September 2021, for South Africa against Sri Lanka as the team's captain,[48] and took a wicket with his first ball in T20Is.[49] He also helped South Africa win the series 3-0 after South Africa lost the ODI series to Sri Lanka 2–1.[50]

Injury and return

In March 2023, Maharaj ruptured his achilles tendon during a match against West Indies.[51] In September 2023, Maharaj was named in the South African squad for the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India after making a sooner than expected recovery from his injury.[52][53] He was the lead spinner in the side and extracted drift, turn and bounce from the pitch and was one of the most economical bowlers in the tournament with an economy rate of 4.15.[54][55] He also contributed with the bat including a tenth wicket partnership with Tabraiz Shamsi leading to a win against Pakistan during a group stage fixture at Chennai.[56] In November 2023, during the 2023 world cup, he became the number one bowler in ICC ODI bowling rankings.[57][58]

References

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  2. ^ a b "Keshav Maharaj, profile". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  3. ^ "South Africa need a spin intervention against improving Sri Lanka". ESPN Cricinfo. 4 September 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  4. ^ Mjikeliso, Sibusiso. "Proteas skipper Keshav Maharaj on dream T20 debut: 'My team-mates made my job easy'". News24. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Keshav Maharaj takes SA's first Test hat-trick in more than 60 years as Proteas eye victory". News24. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  6. ^ "World Cup 2023: World Hindu Congress Thanks Keshav Maharaj For Support Despite Absence From The November Event Due To WC Commitments". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Forefathers of cricketer Keshav Maharaj came to South Africa as indentured labourers - Mumbai Mirror". Mumbai Mirror. 14 January 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Meet South Africa Spinner Keshav Maharaj's Wife Lerisha". Zee News. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Keshav Maharaj's wife Lerisha is a kathak dancer". Zee News. 17 December 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  10. ^ "Keshav Maharaj lives his father's dream". ESPN Cricinfo. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  11. ^ "South Africa Academy in Bangladesh 2010". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  12. ^ "Batting in each season by Keshav Maharaj". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  13. ^ "Northerns v KwaZulu-Natal 2012–13". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  14. ^ "South African all rounder signs as Nelson's pro for 2015 season". Pendle Today. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  15. ^ "Cape Cobras v Dolphins 2014–15". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  16. ^ "Bowling in each season by Keshav Maharaj". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  17. ^ "KwaZulu-Natal Squad Players". ESPN cricinfo. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  18. ^ "Warriors v Dolphins 2016–17". Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  19. ^ "Mzansi Super League - full squad lists". Sport24. Retrieved 17 October 2018.
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  27. ^ "Honours even after Williamson's hundred". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  28. ^ "A rare hundred, a rarer five-for". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  29. ^ "South Africa picks Morkel for ICC Champions Trophy 2017". International Cricket Council. 19 April 2017. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  30. ^ "Morkel, Maharaj in South Africa squad". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  31. ^ "South Africa tour of England, 2nd ODI: England v South Africa at Southampton, May 27, 2017". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  32. ^ "De Kock dominates South Africa's awards". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  33. ^ "New-look SA attack takes on weakened tourists". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  34. ^ "Keshav Maharaj stuns SL with 8/116". Cricket Country. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  35. ^ "SL 277-9: Keshav Maharaj's eight wickets throttles Sri Lanka". SA Cricket. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
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  38. ^ "Bowling records". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  39. ^ "Bowling records, statsguru". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
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  41. ^ "Keshav Maharaj Gets His 100th Wicket Dismissing Ajinkya Rahane During IND vs SA, 2nd Test 2019 Day 2". Latestly. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  42. ^ "Uncapped Glenton Stuurnman in South Africa white-ball squads". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
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  44. ^ "Keshav Maharaj Becomes First South African to Take a Test Hat-Trick Since 1960, Achieves Feat During WI vs SA 2nd Test Day 4". Latestly. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
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  50. ^ "Openers demolish Sri Lanka after bowling strangle as South Africa sweep series". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  51. ^ "South Africa's Keshav Maharaj ruptures achilles while celebrating wicket". Guardian. 12 March 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
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  54. ^ Mukherjee, Abhishek (16 November 2023). "South Africa's Keshav Maharaj Delay Shows The Perils Of Match-Up Captaincy". Wisden. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  55. ^ "Cricket World Cup: Keshav Maharaj spins a web to accelerate New Zealand collapse and ends South Africa's 5-match losing streak to them". Indian Express. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  56. ^ "Keshav Maharaj caps unlikely World Cup comeback with cathartic winning role". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  57. ^ Waris, Sarah (14 November 2023). "ICC Rankings Update: Keshav Maharaj Jumps To No.1 Ahead Of World Cup Semi-Finals". Wisden. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  58. ^ Singh, Niyanta (16 November 2023). "SA cricketer's father over the moon as his son's determination pays off". Citizen. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
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