Cricket South Africa Awards 2024: Keshav Maharaj named Men’s Players’ Player of the Year

Keshav Maharaj was named the Men’s Players’ Player of the Year during the Cricket South Africa Awards 2024 held on Thursday.

This awards, held annually, recognises cricketers who have been honoured by their peers for outstanding performances, leadership and sportsmanship throughout the season.

Keshav Maharaj, who plays for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League, was a key player for South Africa during the ODI World Cup 2023, picking up 15 wickets from 10 matches at an economy of just 4.15 runs per over.

He was South Africa’s third-highest wicket-taker in the tournament after pacers Gerald Coetzee, who picked 20 scalps from eight matches, and Marco Jansen, who had 17 from nine games.

A left-arm spinner, Keshav Maharaj made an impressive recovery from an Achilles rupture, returning to play in the ODI World Cup three months earlier than anticipated, against medical expectations.

The South Africa cricket team made it to the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by eventual champions Australia.

“Thank you to my South Africa teammates for this award,” Maharaj said in a post on his social media page. “It means alot to me and I’m glad I could contribute towards the team's success.”

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The CSA Awards 2024 acknowledged the accomplishments of the players between May 1, 2023, and April 30, 2024. As a result, performances from June's T20 World Cup and the Test and T20 series in the West Indies will be included in the following year's awards.

Laura Wolvaardt, captain of South Africa's women's cricket team, emerged as the standout at the CSA Annual Awards, securing five accolades, including the prestigious Women's Player of the Year title.