Keshav Maharaj

Keshav Maharaj was born on February 7, 1990, in Durban, Natal. He debuted in first-class cricket for KwaZulu-Natal during the 2006–07 season at the age of 16. Initially a pace bowler, he transitioned to spin bowling focusing on accuracy. After consistently being among the leading wicket-takers in South Africa’s first-class competition during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, he received an international call-up. Maharaj made his Test debut for South Africa against Australia at the WACA in 2016. Despite challenging conditions for a spinner, he took 3 for 56 in the first innings and scored an unbeaten 41 runs.

Maharaj achieved his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests against New Zealand in 2017. Later that year, he made his One Day International (ODI) debut against England. In July 2018, he recorded his best Test bowling figures with 9 for 129 against Sri Lanka, marking the second-best performance by a South African in a Test innings and the best by a visiting bowler in Sri Lanka. This achievement solidified his position as a prominent spinner in international cricket. In October 2019, Maharaj reached 100 wickets in Test cricket during a series against India.

In June 2021, Maharaj accomplished South Africa’s second-ever Test hat-trick against West Indies. He also led South Africa as captain in his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in September 2021, where he took a wicket with his first ball. After rupturing his achilles tendon in March 2023, he made an unexpected recovery and was named in the South African squad for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. He was a key bowler in the tournament, maintaining an economy rate of 4.15 and became the number one bowler in ICC ODI bowling rankings in November 2023. In 2025, Maharaj became South Africa’s most prolific spinner in Test cricket, surpassing Hugh Tayfield’s record of 170 wickets.