In the qualifying round of the 2006 Champions Trophy, he picked up the best bowling analysis in the history of the tournament (6–14), which is also the ninth best analysis in all ODIs. That was against the defending champions West Indies, and was Maharoof's first five wicket haul in ODIs. Maharoof took his maiden first-class five-wicket haul in November 2006 in a match for Bloomfield against Ragam which ended in a draw. His 7 wickets for 73 runs beat his previous best bowling figures in first-class cricket of 4/12. Maharoof took 4/23 against Bermuda to start the 2007 World Cup and became the first Sri Lankan to take a 4 wicket haul on his World Cup debut. On 7 October 2007 Maharoof took his 100th wicket in his 75th ODI; at the time he was the fastest Sri Lankan to reach the landmark, beating Muttiah Muralitharan by one match, however this record was later taken by fast bowler Lasith Malinga in 2010 who reached 100 wickets in 68 matches. After the inaugural IPL in 2008, Maharoff joined the Sri Lanka squad in preparation for the 2008 Asia Cup, however an abdominal strain prevented him from taking part. For his performances in 2008, he was named in the World ODI XI by the ICC. Back to form On 22 June 2010 Maharoof took his first hat-trick in One day International against India in Asia Cup 2010. The cup's final against India was his last match until early 2012. The auction for the 2011 IPL was held in January that year, and although Maharoof was available he was not signed by a team. Sri Lanka embarked on a tour of England in May. Five players selected in the squad chose to participate in the IPL instead of Sri Lanka's first warm-up match, and consequentially Maharoof was drafted in to provide cover until they arrived. Initially called up for a single tour match, Maharoof was added to the Test squad when seam bowlers Dilhara Fernando and Nuwan Pradeep sustained injuries. Having played in the first two Tests, Maharoof was left out of Sri Lanka's squad for the ODI leg of the tour. Stuart Law, the team's coach, explained that "He hasn't quite set the world on fire but he hasn't done a lot wrong. It just hasn't worked for him at this stage." His last ODI was the final of the Asia Cup