It’s not every day you see a Player of the Match trophy dedicated across the gender divide in international cricket. Yet, after dismantling the Indian top order with a clinical 3 for 22, Chloe Tryon did exactly that. The recipient of her gratitude? Keshav Maharaj.
While the men’s national side enjoys a winter hiatus, Maharaj hasn’t been lounging. Instead, he’s been embedded in the women’s dressing room, acting as a tactical consultant for their T20I series against India. It’s a move that has paid immediate dividends, particularly in Durban—the cricket venue there Maharaj knows better than perhaps any active cricketer.
For South Africa’s spin twins, Tryon and Sune Luus, Maharaj’s presence provided more than just technical tips; it offered a fresh, elite-level perspective. Luus was quick to point out how refreshing it was to hear from someone currently ranked as one of the best in the world.
“It’s been awesome to work with him,” Luus remarked. “Sometimes a coach can be repetitive, and think he knows everything, but coming from a number one (sic) bowler in the world, we just absorbed everything he was saying the last couple of days. It was phenomenal to have him in the camp, just his experience as well.”
If you watched Tryon’s spell closely, the influence was written all over the scorecard. Her victims—Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, and debutant Anushka Sharma—were all undone by a specific brand of discipline: stump-to-stump lines and lengths that offered zero breathing room.
It’s the same suffocating style that has made Maharaj a nightmare for ODI and Test batters. Tryon admitted that Maharaj’s pre-game prophecy acted as a personal motivator.
“Kesh(av) Maharaj has been with us and he said before the game that he thinks one of our spinners will be Player of the Match, so I am happy I could do it for him,” Tryon said during the post-match broadcast.
The impact isn’t limited to Tryon. Nonkululeko Mlaba, who has long viewed Maharaj as a mentor, has shown a newfound maturity in her game. Known for her ability to rip the ball, Mlaba has pivoted toward run-rate control in this series, mirroring Maharaj’s “hold-one-end” philosophy. The numbers don’t lie: she’s currently the most economical bowler in the squad, going at just 5.87 runs per over.
Kingsmead can be a fickle mistress, but having a local legend in the dugout gave the Proteas Women an “inside man.” Luus noted that the pitches weren’t acting like the typical slow Durban tracks they expected, and Maharaj’s local knowledge helped them pivot their strategy in real-time.
“He’s our inside man, and a Durban boy, so he knew the conditions very well. I think that definitely worked in our favour,” Luus explained. “The pitch has not been playing like a normal Durban slow pitch. It was a belter in the first game and we thought it was going to be a bit slower today, but it still played very well.”
With the series moving to the Wanderers in Johannesburg, the Proteas are hoping the “consultant” trend continues. Whether it’s another local veteran like Bjorn Fortuin or the recently retired Rassie van der Dussen, the team is hungry for that extra edge.
“Hopefully, we can get a Jo’burg boy in Jo’burg,” Luus joked. “I don’t know what Mandla’s (Mashimbyi, the head coach) plan is, but whoever is there, if they can come into the camp with a different perspective and a different voice as well, that will be great.”
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