Keshav Maharaj Career

Aakash Saini

Keshav Maharaj Career (Source:@ClubCricketSA,x.com)Keshav Maharaj Career (Source:@ClubCricketSA,x.com)

South African spinner and all-round apparent Keshav Maharaj swiftly made his mark in international cricket, heralding his arrival with an emphatic Test series winning performance in Australia. Although he faced a tough path for securing his spot in ODIs and T20Is, Maharaj instantly emerged as one of the crucial players for South Africa’s starting Test XI following his debut.

Keshav Maharaj's Cricket Career​

At a tender age of 16, Keshav Maharaj made his first-class debut for KwaZulu-Natal during the 2006 SAA Provincial Challenge match against Kei. The left-arm spinner made instant impact for his side as he returned with match-winning figures of 5-100 from 30 overs.

Keshav Maharaj International Career​

Keshav Maharaj International Career​ (Source:@BDCricTime,x.com)Keshav Maharaj International Career​ (Source:@BDCricTime,x.com)

Keshav Maharaj’s splendid first-class run elevated him to team’s white-ball division for the Dolphins during South Africa’s 2009-10 domestic season. The cricketer also became a part of South Africa A’s travelling party to Bangladesh in 2010 for two four-day matches, where he impressed one-and-all with his 13-wicket series haul.

His first-class and overall domestic success for KwaZulu-Natal and the Dolphins paved way for his international call-up, and he eventually earned his maiden Test cap during South Africa’s three-match Test tour of Australia in December 2016, i.e., after a decade of making his competitive debut.

Keshav Maharaj's T20I Career

Keshav Maharaj's T20I Career (Source:@ProteasMenCSA,x.com)Keshav Maharaj's T20I Career (Source:@ProteasMenCSA,x.com)

Keshav Maharaja was fast-tracked into South Africa’s T20I setup by the selection committee just a month prior to the commencement of the 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE. Impressing in his maiden three-match assignment in Sri Lanka with a 3-0 series-winning performance, Maharaj found himself in South Africa’s playing XI in nine of their 10 fixtures across the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups in UAE and Australia respectively.

Overall, the left-arm spinner has played 39 matches for his country, with his latest set of fixtures being South Africa’s three home match against India in December 2023.

Keshav Maharaj's ODI Career

Keshav Maharaj's ODI Career (Source:@NetGemHunterX,x.com)Keshav Maharaj's ODI Career (Source:@NetGemHunterX,x.com)

Keshav Maharaj made his ODI debut against England at Southampton in May 2017, and was included in South Africa’s 15-player squad for the subsequent 2017 Champions Trophy. The left-arm spinner initially blew hot and cold in the format, considering it took him a while to warrant a permanent spot in his country’s starting XI. After being overlooked from South Africa’s 2019 World Cup squad, the cricketer found his name as one of the travellers to India for the 2023 World Cup.

Keshav Maharaj has turned up 48 times for South Africa in ODIs since making his format debut in 2017. He played 10 of those matches during the high-octane 2023 World Cup in India.

Keshav Maharaj's Test Career

Keshav Maharaj's Test Career (Source:@VijayCricketFan,x.com)Keshav Maharaj's Test Career (Source:@VijayCricketFan,x.com)

From his international debut in November 2016 till December 2025, Keshav Maharaj has featured in 59 Test matches for South Africa. The KwaZulu-Natal alumni has so far claimed over 203  wickets at an impressive average of less than 32.

Apart from mastering the art of spin bowling, the Proteas star has also proven himself to be a useful commodity with the bat lower down the order for his country. The right-handed batsman has already scored some handy runs on countless occasions, and currently has five Test match half-centuries in his profile to show for.

Keshav Maharaj earned his maiden Test cap at the WACA in Perth in November 2016 during South Africa’s three-match tour of Australia. 

Keshav Maharaj's IPL Career

Keshav Maharaj began his Indian Premier League (IPL) career in the 2024 season, representing the Rajasthan Royals. During this season, he had the opportunity to participate in just two matches. It is important to note that as of now, he has only played in one season of the IPL.

FAQs - Keshav Maharaj's Career

Q.1 : What year did Keshav Maharaj made his international debut for South Africa?

Answer: Keshav Maharaj made his international debut for South Africa through a Test match against Australia at Perth’s WACA Stadium on November 3, 2016.

Q.2 : How many ODI World Cups has Keshav Maharaj participated in?

Answer: Keshav Maharaj was selected in South Africa’s squad for the 2023 World Cup in India. Previously, he was overlooked from team’s composition for the 2019 World Cup in England, despite making his format debut back in May 2017.

Q.3 : Which team does Keshav Maharaj play for in SA20?

Answer: Keshav Maharaj played for Durban’s Super Giants in the inaugural edition of SA20 played out in January and February 2023.

Q.4 Did Keshav Maharaj get married?

Answer: Yes,  Keshav Maharaj is married to Lerisha Munuswamy. She is a qualified attorney specialising in commercial law and litigation. The couple tied the knot in April 2022.