Keshav Maharaj Stats: 402 Wickets and a Career Record Across Formats
Keshav Maharaj has taken 402 wickets across Tests, ODIs and T20 cricket in the CricMind global cricket database. 218 of them came in Test cricket, at an average of 29.22 and an economy of 3.11, for South Africa. A left-arm spinner who has kept his place in a country better known for fast bowling, Maharaj has a record built on volume, control and long spells.
This feature sets out the numbers from the Cricsheet ball-by-ball archive: what he has done in each format, how his bowling changes between them, and what his batting adds.
Keshav Maharaj Career Stats by Format
| Format | Mat | Runs | Bat Avg | Bat SR | HS | 50s | 100s | Wkts | Bowl Avg | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 62 | 1,334 | 15.33 | 60.7 | 84 | 6 | 0 | 218 | 29.22 | 3.11 |
| ODI | 55 | 328 | 13.67 | 81.0 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 29.93 | 4.74 |
| T20 | 110 | 282 | 8.81 | 82.7 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 26.80 | 7.52 |
| All | 227 | 1,944 | 84 | 6 | 0 | 402 |
T20 figures combine T20 internationals and franchise T20 cricket.
Maharaj in Test Cricket: The Spine of the Record
Tests are where Maharaj's reputation was made. In 62 Tests he has bowled 12,308 deliveries, more than 2,050 overs, and conceded 6,370 runs. That works out to a wicket every 56.5 balls and an economy of 3.11 runs an over.
Those two figures together describe his role. An economy near three runs an over lets a captain set a field and leave him on for a long spell while the fast bowlers rotate from the other end. A wicket roughly every nine and a half overs means the spell is doing more than holding an end. On surfaces that offered pace and bounce, South Africa still needed a spinner who could bowl 30 overs in an innings without leaking runs, and Maharaj gave them one.
He bowled in 106 Test innings across those 62 matches, so he has been used in both innings in most Tests. A spinner's workload usually rises in the second innings, when the pitch has worn and footmarks give him something to aim at.
The Lower-Order Batter
Maharaj's batting matters most in Tests. He has scored 1,334 Test runs in 95 innings at 15.33, with six fifties and a top score of 84. He has hit 153 fours and 29 sixes in Tests, an unusually aggressive return for a number eight or nine.
His Test strike rate of 60.7 suggests a batter who counter-attacks rather than blocks. For a side whose top order has sometimes been fragile, a tail that adds 40 or 50 runs can change a first-innings total from below par to competitive.
ODIs: Control in the Middle Overs
In 55 ODIs Maharaj has taken 76 wickets at 29.93, with an economy of 4.74. He has bowled 2,881 balls, which works out to a wicket every 37.9 deliveries.
An economy under five in 50-over cricket is the kind of figure captains look for from the bowler who works through overs 11 to 40. That is the phase where a spinner either builds pressure and draws a false shot or gives the batting side a chance to accelerate before the death overs. His batting is less prominent in ODIs: 328 runs at 13.67 with a high score of 40, at a strike rate of 81.
T20: The Format Where He Takes Wickets Fastest
Across 110 T20 matches, internationals and franchise games combined, Maharaj has 108 wickets at 26.80. That is his best bowling average in any format. His economy rises to 7.52 because T20 batters attack every ball, but his rate of a wicket every 21.4 deliveries shows that the attacking makes them easier to dismiss.
His T20 career covers a wide range of teams: South Africa, Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, Durban's Super Giants and Pretoria Capitals in the SA20, Barbados Royals in the CPL, Yorkshire in county cricket, and Fortune Barishal in the BPL. That range says something about how franchises value a left-arm spinner who can bowl in the powerplay or the middle overs and contain good batters on most surfaces.
What the Numbers Show
Three patterns stand out in Maharaj's record.
First, consistency across formats. His bowling averages are 29.22 in Tests, 29.93 in ODIs and 26.80 in T20s, all within about three runs of each other. Many bowlers are specialists whose numbers fall away badly in one format. Maharaj's barely move.
Second, workload. Over 12,000 Test deliveries is a big body of work for any bowler, and an especially big one for a spinner in a South African attack built around pace. It reflects how often selectors trusted him to be the only spinner in the side.
Third, the bat adds value. Six Test fifties and a highest score of 84 make him a genuine contributor in the lower order, particularly in Tests, where a long tail can cost a side a match.
For comparisons with other leading spinners, see the all-time cricket records and the Test cricket hub.
FAQ
How many Test wickets has Keshav Maharaj taken?
Keshav Maharaj has taken 218 Test wickets in 62 matches at an average of 29.22 and an economy of 3.11.
What is Keshav Maharaj's highest Test score?
His highest Test score is 84. He has scored six Test fifties and 1,334 Test runs at an average of 15.33.
How many wickets has Keshav Maharaj taken across all formats?
He has 402 wickets across all formats: 218 in Tests, 76 in ODIs and 108 in T20 cricket.
Which T20 teams has Keshav Maharaj played for?
Apart from South Africa, he has played T20 cricket for Rajasthan Royals, Durban's Super Giants, Pretoria Capitals, Barbados Royals, Yorkshire and Fortune Barishal.