Yesterday, KL Rahul-led side comfortably defeated South Africa by 78 runs at Paarl, with this India won the 3-match ODI series by 2-1. This marks India’s second ODI series win on South African soil, the first one was under Virat Kohli in 2018 when they beat Proteas by 5-1. KL Rahul not only won the series but also won the hearts of many Indian fans with an on-field conversation with South African spinner Keshav Maharaj.
KL Rahul and Keshav Maharaj’s conversation over ‘Ram Siya Ram’ song
The incident occurred in the 34th over of the innings when Keshav Maharaj, the No. 8 South African batter, stepped into bat. Interestingly, as soon as Keshav took the crease, the DJ played ‘Ram Siya Ram,’ a devotional song dedicated to Lord Rama. DJ must be well aware that Keshav Maharaj is a devotee of Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman as his Instagram handle indicates so.
When Maharaj was taking guard, KL Rahul, from behind the stumps, remarked to the batter, ‘Keshav Bhai, every time you come, they play this song.’ To which, Keshav reacted with a smile. It appears that KL Rahul was impressed with the fact that despite residing in South Africa for a long period, Keshav Maharaj hasn’t forgotten his Indian roots. Below is the video of the incident.
https://twitter.com/on_drive23/status/1737893015879057886
Although Keshav Maharaj was born in Durban, South Africa, his ancestors belonged to Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His great-grandfather had migrated to South Africa in 1874. Keshav Maharaj comes from a religious Hindu family. During the 2023 World Cup in India, he visited the Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram. This suggests his connection to cultural and religious roots.
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Notably, Keshav Maharaj is the only Hindu to represent the South Africa cricket team. Since his debut in 2016, he has been a regular member of Proteas side in all three formats. During the 2023 World Cup, the 33-year-old cricketer garnered Indian fans’ attention by featuring the ‘Om’ symbol on his bat and sealing a victory against Pakistan with a four.