(October 21, 2023) 2018 – the South African cricket team found themselves in a tough spot during their second test match against Sri Lanka in Colombo. While it looked like the game was slipping away from the Proteas, a young player, Keshav Maharaj, emerged as the hero, overshadowing even the cricketing stars like Dale Steyn and Kagiso Rabada. The cricketer achieved something incredible that day, taking a career-best nine wickets in a single innings. His outstanding performance helped South Africa turn the tide in the match. What made the cricketer’s performance even more special was the way he bamboozled the Sri Lankan batsmen with his precise deliveries and clever flight variations. It was a day when he etched his name in the cricketing history books, setting several new milestones.
Cut to, 2023 and this cricketer – who is now the vice-captain of the South African team – is still managing to surprise everyone with his exceptional spinning talent. A key player for his team, which has won big against both Sri Lanka and Australia in the ongoing World Cup, Keshav has already taken five wickets for his team thus far. “For now,” the cricketer said during an interview, “My entire focus is to make sure that my team lifts the cup. The South African team has never lifted the cup, and this time we have a great side and can actually make history.”
Connected to his roots
Keshav was born on the beach in Durban to his parents, Atmanand and Kanchan Mala. His family originally came from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, and they moved to Durban in 1874. While he never visited the country growing up, Keshav has always been quite proud of his connection to India. In fact, it was only about a week back that the cricket fans noticed a unique symbol on Keshav’s gear. His bat bore the ‘Om’ sign, a sacred symbol in Hinduism.
Growing up Keshav was a part of various school teams, however by the time he was 14 he had made up his mind that he was going to be a cricketer. Just two years from there, the player made his debut in first-class cricket for KwaZulu-Natal and was soon promoted to the Dolphins team in 2009–10. “It started from a very early age. I was playing provincial cricket during the time when no normal sport was played in an abnormal society,” the cricketer’s father said during an interview, “We belonged to the South African Council of Sport (SACOS), which was the governing body of the non-racial sport. During my playing days, my son used to accompany me to matches. At times when I was not playing I used to work with him in very limited facilities. His first experience in cricket obviously started at home in my backyard. We spent hours together. When unification took place it was easier to find better facilities to enhance the sessions. He was very enthusiastic and he would wait for me to get back from work and take him to the nets. He would bowl left-arm seam in training as he practiced. And being a former gloveman I kept to him.”
His reputation as a left-arm orthodox spinner quickly caught the attention of South African cricket’s top bosses. They selected him to join the South Africa A team when Bangladesh A toured in 2010-11. This was the moment that changed everything for Keshav. During the tour of Bangladesh, The Global Indian shone by taking 13 wickets in the two four-day matches against the Bangladesh Cricket Board Academy. He even opened the bowling in a T20 match and took an impressive 4 wickets for just 12 runs in four overs.
A family man, Keshav is known for spending much of his time at home with his lovely German Shepherd, Rio. “He is basically a grounded family person,” his father said, “His first love is cricket of course, but when at home you will find him in the kitchen. He is an awesome cook and has a food blog. He also has a strong religious focus.”
A long innings
After spending several years playing for local clubs and teams, Keshav had his international cricket debut in a test series against Australia in 2016. Against all expectations, he played a crucial part in the downfall of the Australian batting lineup in the first innings by taking three vital wickets. Notably, he was the first specialist spinner to make his Test debut in Perth. his performance left several wondering why the cricketer couldn’t make it to the national team earlier.
Talking about the moment the family received the news of Keshav’s debut in Australia, his father shared, “The moment when Cricket South Africa came asking for Keshav’s passport to send him with the national team for the tour of Australia, we actually broke down. And to see him on television playing for the nation brought tears in our eyes and to be fair the call came in at the right time. Keshav had worked really hard and deserved the opportunity to take a shot at the international level,” he said.
About two years later, during a match with Sri Lanka, the cricketer recorded the best-ever bowling figures in a Test innings by a South African in Asia. Interestingly, Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane became Keshav’s 100th wicket in 2019. “I’m trying to do the best I can, wherever I go in the world, whether it’s international, domestic, club cricket, or just some local Sunday league that you go play. I’m very fortunate and blessed to be able to do something I love and see other parts of the world, so if I can do well, I’ll get many more opportunities to do that,” shared the cricketer, who was named the South African T20 captain in 2021.
Currently, the vice-captain is on a mission to win the cup for his team. However, he also wishes to see more spinners playing for the Proteas. “I just want to keep doing well because it’ll mean I get to do what I love, travel the world, and maybe, hopefully, help young kids back home pick up spin bowling,” the cricketer said during a recent interview.
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