South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj visited the Ayodhya Ram Mandir on Wednesday, March 21. In January, Maharaj expressed his desire to visit the temple but missed the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony on January 22 due to his commitments in the SA20 tournament, where he led the Durban Super Giants. Maharaj shared a photo of himself at the Ayodhya Temple on his official Instagram handle with the caption, "Jai Shree Raam. Blessings to everyone."
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Earlier this week, Maharaj joined the Lucknow Super Giants camp for IPL 2024. He previously led LSG's sister franchise, Durban Super Giants, in the SA20 League. The 34-year-old spinner, a staunch believer in Lord Ram, garnered attention after the DJ at Newlands stadium played the song "Ram Siya Ram" when he batted against India during the second Test. Upon arriving at the team hotel in Lucknow on Friday, Maharaj received a unique welcome. A video shared by LSG on their social media showed Maharaj stepping out of the car while "Ram Siya Ram" played in the background. The hotel staff applied Tilak on his forehead and warmly welcomed him.
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On the cricketing front, Maharaj, known for his versatility as a left-arm orthodox spinner and lower-order batter, has been a stalwart for the South African national team across all formats. He debuted internationally in November 2016 during the Test series against Australia in Perth. Notably, he captained the national side for the first time in ODIs against Sri Lanka in September 2021, also making his T20I debut and assuming leadership in his debut match.
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During the Test series against West Indies in June 2021, Maharaj achieved historical success by claiming a hat-trick, becoming the second South African bowler to do so in Tests. With over 200 wickets across formats, he stands out as a top bowler for South Africa. His exceptional bowling skills were highlighted in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup held in India, where he emerged as one of the standout bowlers, finishing as Proteas' third-highest wicket-taker with 15 wickets in 10 games at an average of 24.66 and an economy rate of 4.15.
LSG is set to kick off their IPL 2024 journey against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on March 24. Their inaugural home match is scheduled against Punjab Kings on March 30.
