"If Keshav Maharaj doesn’t get an IPL gig, then IPL’s scouts have failed" - Robin Uthappa urges franchises to go after spinner in auction
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa remarked that Keshav Maharaj deserves to be a member of a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the next cycle. The left-arm spinner has been one of the most consistent spinners in the shortest format in recent times, but with only a couple of appearances in the cash-rich league.
Maharaj is currently the 20th-ranked T20I bowler in the world, and had once attained a career-high rating of 662 points in 2022. The spinner has been South Africa's undisputed frontline T20 spinner for a while now, with his accuracy as a finger spinner being a huge strength. Capable of bowling with the new ball, and being on the right side of an ideal economy, has made him an ideal candidate for the T20 format.
Maharaj has taken three wickets in the ongoing series against India, including a tight spell of 0-24 in the second T20I in Gqeberha. He finished with figures of 2-36, including key wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya.
“If Keshav Maharaj doesn’t get an IPL gig, then IPL’s scouts have failed,” Uthappa on air during the 3rd T20I at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
Maharaj has been a reliable name in the T20 franchise circuit over the years, but the fact that he is an overseas off-spinner has held back IPL teams from going after him at the auction.
The left-arm spinner led the Durban's Super Giants to the finals of the 2024 SA20, and also represents the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
Keshav Maharaj played for the Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2024
The South African spinner's first taste of the IPL came as an unofficial member of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) squad during the 2024 edition. Leading their sister franchise in the SA20, Maharaj trained with LSG before being roped in as a replacement player by the Rajasthan Royals (RR) following an injury to Prasidh Krishna.
He made his IPL debut in the home encounter against the Gujarat Titans (GT), where he recorded figures of 0-16 off his two overs. In his next appearance against the Punjab Kings (PBKS), Maharaj dismissed the English duo of Sam Curran and Jonny Bairstow as his figures read 2-23.
Maharaj is among the 91 South African players to have enrolled their name in the auction pool ahead of the 2025 mega-auction. He is one of the bargain options that the franchises could go for at the event as he brings experience, skill, and form to the table.