Keshav Maharaj is a South African cricketer of Indian origin who has played many matches for the team. He is also popular for following Hindu practices.
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Keshav Atmanand Maharaj was born on Wednesday, 7 February 1990 (age 33 years; as of 2023) in Durban, Natal Province, South Africa. Their zodiac sign is Aquarius. Keshav started playing cricket in the backyard of his house at the age of two. His father later started coaching him and would often take him to the nets. He was later selected for the Bakers Mini-Cricket programme, a developmental scheme for primary school children, where he played as a left-arm fast bowler and batsman. One day, his father saw him spinning the ball during training on a synthetic pitch and asked him to start spin bowling. He completed his schooling from Northwood Boys’ High School, Durban. He later earned a Bachelor of Administration degree.
Keshav Maharaj during his adolescence
Since his father played first-class cricket, Keshav honed his spin-bowling skills at the age of twelve, bowling to many of the Indian and Pakistani batsmen his father knew in the nets. Later he became a professional cricketer.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 10″
Weight (Approx): 65 kg
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye colour: black
Body Measurements (Approx): Chest 40″, Waist 30″, Biceps 12″
Family
He is from a family of Indian origin.
parents and siblings
His father, Atmanand Maharaj, is a former cricketer who played as a wicketkeeper-batsman; He also served as the Deputy Director General of Cricket in the Kwa-Zulu Natal province. His mother’s name is Kanchan Mala who is a teacher. He has two sisters named Nasika and Tarisma.
Keshav Maharaj with his mother Kanchan, father Atmanand and sister Karishma (right to left).
wife and children
He married South African dancer and beautician Larisha Munsamy on 16 April 2022. Earlier their engagement took place on 17 January 2019. The couple has no children.
Keshav Maharaj (right) with Larisha Munsamy
relationships/affairs
Keshav Maharaj was introduced to Larisha Munsamy by a common friend in 2018 and they later started dating each other. After dating for about 5 and a half months, on July 28, 2018, Keshav proposed her, which she accepted and became his girlfriend. Larisha and Keshav kept their relationship very private and did not tell their families about it; However, on the occasion of Keshav’s mother’s 50th birthday, he plans a Kathak dance performance with her after which her family agrees to their relationship.
Keshav Maharaj (right) with Larisha Munsamy
religion/religious views
He follows Hindu religion and is a devotee of Lord Hanuman. He often visits Hindu temples during his free time and often wishes his fans on social media on the occasion of Hindu festivals like Ram Navami.
Keshav Maharaj during his visit to Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple
Signature
livelihood
domestic
Keshav Maharaj played for KwaZulu-Natal under-15 and under-19 before breaking into the senior team. He made his first-class debut for KwaZulu-Natal against KE on 2 November 2006; He took 1 wicket for 16 runs in the first innings and 4 wickets for 84 runs in the second innings. He made his List A (one-day) debut for KwaZulu-Natal against KE on 5 November 2006, taking 3 for 22. He made his T20 debut for the Dolphins against the Warriors on 7 February 2010, taking 1 for 29. He also played for the South African Academy and the South Africans in the domestic circuit.
Keshav Maharaj after winning the domestic title
international
South Africa A
Although he did not make the South Africa Under-19 team, he was later selected for the South Africa A team and toured Bangladesh in 2010.
Keshav Maharaj playing for South Africa A
Examination
Keshav Maharaj made his Test debut on 3 November 2016 at the WACA Ground in Perth, Australia; He scored 16 runs in the first innings and took 3 wickets for 56 runs and scored 41 runs and took 1 wicket for 94 runs in the second innings. In March 2017, he took his first 5 wicket haul by taking 5 wickets in the first innings against New Zealand.
Keshav Maharaj playing test match
In July 2018, during the match against Sri Lanka, he took 9 for 129 in the first innings and 3 for 153 in the second innings, achieving his first 10-wicket haul in a Test match. In October 2019, he scored his first Test half-century by scoring 72 runs in the first innings against India.
ODI
He played his first ODI against England at The Rose Bowl (also known as The Aged Bowl) in Southampton, England on 27 May 2017, taking 1 for 72. On 17 September 2023, he took his first 4 wicket haul of 4 for 33 against Australia.
Keshav Maharaj is playing an ODI match
one day world cup
His first ODI World Cup was the 2023 ICC ODI World Cup held in India. During the World Cup, a picture of his bat went viral which had the symbol of Om (Om) on it. Many fans praised him for following Hindu traditions while in South Africa. He caught the attention of cricket fans when he hit the winning four in the match against Pakistan, which South Africa won by 1 wicket.
Keshav Maharaj and his bat with Om symbol celebrating after the victory against Pakistan
t20
He made his T20I debut on 10 September 2021 against Sri Lanka at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka and took 1 for 19.
t20i world cup
During the 2021 T20 World Cup held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he played 5 matches and took 8 wickets for 155 runs with best bowling figures of 3 wickets for 20 runs against Bangladesh. He played 4 matches in the 2022 T20 World Cup held in Australia and took 3 for 89 with best bowling figures of 2 for 27 against Netherlands.
captaincy
He became the ODI captain for the series against Sri Lanka in September 2021 and later captained South Africa’s T20I team during the T20I series against Sri Lanka. He also served as the vice-captain of the team during the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Jersey number
He wears the number 16 jersey for South Africa in international tournaments.
Keshav Maharaj’s jersey number, 16
league
english league
In the 2013 Sussex Premier League, he played for Cuckfield, and in the 2015 Lancashire League, he represented Nelson. He played for Lancashire in the 2018 County Championship and Yorkshire in 2019.
Mzansi Super League (MSL)
Keshav Maharaj played for Durban Heat in the 2018 and 2019 MSL seasons.
SA20
He played for the Durban Super Giants in the 2022 and 2023 editions of the SA20 League and was appointed captain of the team for the 2024 season.
record
- He is the first spin bowler to make his international debut at the WACA Ground, Perth, Australia.
- Second South African bowler to take a hat-trick in a Test match (against West Indies in June 2021)
award
- International Newcomer of the Year at Cricket South Africa’s annual awards in 2017
car collection
He has a Volkswagen Polo.
Keshav Maharaj is buying his car Volkswagen Polo
Favorite
- Bowler: Muttiah Muralitharan
- Restaurants: Hard Rock Café, Faygo Café in Johannesburg, Chai Nasto in Beckenham
- Holiday destination: Thailand
Facts/General Knowledge
- His batting style is right-handed, and his bowling style is slow left-arm orthodox.
- Keshav’s father revealed in an interview that his great-grandfather came to Durban from Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India on 1 September 1874. Keshav’s father also came to India to study and play cricket; However, he did not like staying there and returned to South Africa.
Keshav Maharaj with his father
- She loves cooking and also has a cooking vlog. He also participated in local radio cooking shows.
- When Keshav was three years old, former Indian cricketer Kiran More once saw his hand and predicted that he would become an international cricketer. When Keshav made his international debut, his father sent More an SMS, to which More replied that he had said these words after seeing Keshav running between the grip of the bat and the pitch.
Keshav Maharaj’s childhood picture when Kiran More saw him for the first time
- During adolescence, Keshav was not selected due to being overweight. Between the age of 22 and 25, he worked hard on his fitness and was later selected.
Keshav Maharaj during gym session
- He named his name for the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL); However, he remained unsold during the auction against his base price of Rs 50 lakh.
- His cricketing role model is Rahul Dravid.
Keshav Maharaj with his favorite cricketer Rahul Dravid (left)
- He likes to play golf in his free time.
Keshav Maharaj playing golf
- He often participates in social programs for the needy and underprivileged, mostly run by the Hollywood Foundation.
Keshav Maharaj (wearing blue gloves) during a charity event.
- His fans sometimes refer to him as the Maharaja of Durban.
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet to meet his nutritional needs.
Keshav Maharaj’s diet
- His hobbies include swimming, reading and travelling.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn