Ace spinner Keshav Maharaj of South Africa recently explained why, during the red-ball and limited-overs home series against India, “Ram Siya Ram” was played every time he came to bat. The 33-year-old praised God for his successful career and claimed he asked the media to play the devotional music to get him moving.
Across different formats versus India, Maharaj ended up claiming five wickets in just as many games. Recently, the lefty spin bowler also performed well in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He managed to secure 15 wickets across 10 matches, with a commendable economy rate of just 4.15.
Maharaj was cited by PTI as saying:
“Obviously, something that I put forward to the media lady and requested that song to be played. For me, God has been my greatest blessing, giving me guidance and opportunity. So, it’s the least that I can do and it also just gets you in your zone. It’s a nice feeling walking out (into the ground) to hear ‘Ram Siya Ram’ playing in the background.”
Keshav Maharaj
The video of India’s stand-in skipper KL Rahul telling Maharaj that “Ram Siya Ram” is played before he steps out to bat went viral recently, and Maharaj nodded in agreement.
In the same vein, an online video became popular. It showed Virat Kohli with his hands together, practicing archery. The melody hails Lord Rama from Hindu myths.
Keshav Maharaj to captain Durban Super Giants in SA20
Durban Super Giants, captained by Keshav Maharaj, will hit the field on January 10 in the forthcoming SA20 series. Their first clash is at home on the following day, against MI Cape Town.
With four victories in ten games, the Durban-based team placed sixth in the points standings the previous season. Despite having the same number of points as Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Paarl Royals, they were not able to advance to the knockout stage because of a lower net run rate (NRR).