Keshav Maharaj

Maharaj is of Indian ancestry, his great-grandfather hailed from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India and migrated to Durban in 1874 as an indentured labourer.

His father played as a wicket keeper for KwaZulu-Natal.

He has a sister Tarisma.

In April 2022, Maharaj married his longtime girlfriend Lerisha Munsamy, a kathak dancer.

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.

Keshav Maharaj was born on 7 February 1990 in a Hindu family to Athmanand Maharaj and Kanchan Mala in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal.

He made his debut in first-class cricket for KwaZulu-Natal in 2006 and Test debut for South Africa in November 2016.

He represents Dolphins in domestic cricket and Durban's Super Giants in SA20.

In September 2021, Maharaj captained South Africa for the first time in ODIs against Sri Lanka.

He also made his T20I debut against Sri Lanka in the same month while also captaining the team in his debut match.

Maharaj became the second bowler from South Africa to take a hat-trick in a Test match in June 2021 against West Indies.

Maharaj made his first-class debut at the age of 16 for KwaZulu-Natal during the 2006–07 season.

In 2009-10, he represented the Dolphins team.

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.

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.

He scored 114 runs off 119 balls and took 5 wickets in a match against Northerns.

Maharaj played for Cuckfield in the Sussex Premier League in 2013, and as Nelson's professional in the Lancashire League in 2015.

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.

He finished the season with 44 first-class wickets at an average of 26.18.

He was included in the KwaZulu-Natal squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup.

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.

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.

He was the first specialist spinner to make his Test debut at Perth.

On 10 March 2017, Maharaj took his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests against New Zealand.

This was only the seventh five-for by a South African spinner in Tests against New Zealand.

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.

He made his ODI debut for South Africa against England on 27 May 2017.

In October 2018, Maharaj was named in Durban Heat's squad for the first edition of the Mzansi Super League T20 tournament.

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.

In September 2019, Maharaj was named in the squad for the Durban Heat team for the 2019 Mzansi Super League tournament.

In April 2021, he was named in KwaZulu-Natal's squad, ahead of the 2021–22 cricket season in South Africa.

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.