Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj.
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- Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj has been signed by the Mumbai Indians.
- The left-arm spinner went unsold at the 2026 Indian Premier League auction but has been recruited to replace New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner, who is ruled out with injury.
- Maharaj did T20 World Cup duty with the Proteas in India in February and March.
- For more cricket news, go to News24 Sport’s dedicated section.
The Indian Premier League’s Mumbai Indians have signed South African spinner Keshav Maharaj as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Santner.
The left-armer, who was recently in the coaches’ dugout in a consulting role for the Proteas women’s team in their home T20 series against India, was recruited by the Mumbai outfit after New Zealander Santner was ruled out of the tournament with a shoulder injury.
“Maharaj is one of South Africa’s most experienced spinners across all formats,” the franchise said in a statement.
📝𝐌𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐢 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐬 𝐊𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐯 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐣 𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫
Mumbai Indians have confirmed the signing of South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj as a replacement for Mitchell Santner, who has been… pic.twitter.com/B5e2R3zwy2
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) April 27, 2026
“The left-arm bowler, with sharp control and the ability to build sustained pressure, has been a consistent presence in the Proteas setup since his international debut in 2016.
“In his last 30 T20 matches, [he] has taken 31 wickets with a best of 3 for 15. Mumbai Indians are delighted to welcome him to the Blue and Gold.
“His hunger, his craft, and his experience make him exactly the kind of cricketer this team thrives on, added with his values, discipline and his ability to operate under pressure.”
The Mumbai Indians’ other spin options in their ranks are local players Mayank Markande and Raghu Sharma, as well as imports in English all-rounder Will Jacks and Afghanistan’s AM Ghazanfar.
Maharaj has 54 T20 international caps for the Proteas and did national duty at the World Cup in India in February and March before they were eliminated by the Black Caps in the semi-finals.
Regarded as more of a Test bowler for most of his career, he has played only two IPL matches, for the Rajasthan Royalshas in 2024.
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However, he captained the Pretoria Capitals in the 2025/26 season of the SA20 and Durban’s Super Giants before that, while also playing in various global leagues including the Caribbean Premier League, the Bangladesh Premier League and the Vitality Blast in the United Kingdom.
The Mumbai Indians, who are ninth on the IPL log after winning just two of their seven matches, take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday. Play starts at 16:00.
