“Requested that song to be played” – Keshav Maharaj explains why ‘Ram Siya Ram’ was played when he walked out to bat during India series

South Africa’s ace spinner Keshav Maharaj recently revealed why ‘Ram Siya Ram’ was played whenever he walked out to bat during the red-ball and limited-overs home series against India. The 33-year-old said that he requested the media to play the devotional song to get him going and thanked God for his stellar career.

Maharaj finished with five scalps in as many appearances across formats against India. The left-arm spinner also recently delivered at the 2023 ODI World Cup, with 15 wickets in 10 games at an economy rate of 4.15.

Maharaj was quoted as saying by PTI:

"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.”

Recently, the clip went viral where India stand-in captain KL Rahul told Maharaj that ‘Ram Siya Ram’ is played when he walks out to bat, with the latter nodding yes.

Similarly, a video of Virat Kohli folding hands and performing archery went viral. The song is dedicated to Lord Rama in Hindu mythology.

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Keshav Maharaj set to lead Durban Super Giants in SA20

Keshav Maharaj will lead Durban Super Giants in the upcoming edition of SA20, which starts on Wednesday, January 10. They will begin their campaign against MI Cape Town at home on January 11.

Last season, the Durban-based franchise finished fifth in the points table with four wins in 10 games. They failed to qualify for the knockout stage despite having equal points as Sunrisers Eastern Cape and Paarl Royals due to a lower net run rate (NRR).

Durban Super Giants squad for 2024 SA20: Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Christiaan Jonker, Kyle Mayers, Matthew Breetzke, Dwaine Pretorius, Jason Holder, JJ Smuts, Keemo Paul, Wiaan Mulder, Ben McDermott, Heinrich Klaasen, Quinton de Kock, Akila Dananjaya, David Willey, Hardus Viljoen, Junior Dala, Keshav Maharaj, Naveen-ul-Haq, Prenelan Subrayen, Reece Topley, Simon Harmer.