Dean Elgar (born 11 June 1987) is a South African cricketer who has represented his country in Test and One Day International (ODI) cricket. A left-handed opening batter and a slow left-arm orthodox spinner, he served as the Test captain of the South African national team. In domestic cricket, he plays for the Northerns and the Titans in the major South African competitions.
| Full name | Dean Elgar |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 June 1987 |
| Nationality | South African |
| Batting style | Left-handed (opening batter) |
| Bowling style | Slow left-arm |
| International formats | Test, ODI |
| National role | Former Test captain, South Africa |
| Domestic teams | Northerns, Titans |
Elgar emerged through South Africa's age-group cricket structure. He captained the South African side at the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup, which was held in Sri Lanka. From there he progressed into the senior domestic system, turning out for Northerns and the Titans franchise in South Africa's principal cricket tournaments.
Elgar has been a regular fixture for Northerns and the Titans. He was named in the Northerns squad for the 2015 Africa T20 Cup, a domestic Twenty20 tournament contested by South African provincial sides.
As an opening batter for South Africa, Elgar has been associated with long, defensive innings characteristic of an old-fashioned Test opener. On 23 March 2018, he became only the second batter in Test cricket history, after Desmond Haynes of the West Indies, to carry his bat through a completed innings on three separate occasions.
In March 2021, Cricket South Africa announced Elgar's appointment as the Test captain of the national side. He took over the role from wicketkeeper-batter Quinton de Kock, who had stepped down from the position.
Elgar is regarded as one of South Africa's specialist Test openers in the post-Graeme Smith era. His feat of carrying his bat on three occasions places him in a small group of openers in Test history, alongside Desmond Haynes, and reflects his role as an anchor at the top of the South African batting order. His elevation to the Test captaincy in 2021 came at a transitional period for South African cricket.