Keshav Maharaj: When Ram Siya Ram performs in background, I get into the zone

Devotional music being performed at a cricket floor is a rarity however when Keshav Athmanand Maharaj strides in, the in-stadia DJ will get a particular request to play one music: “Ram Siya Ram Jai Jai Ram”.

And the request comes from none aside from the South Africa left-arm spinner himself, prompting India skipper KL Rahul to ask him ‘everytime you enter, they play that song’ through the just lately concluded ODI collection in South Africa.

In the Cape Town Test, as Maharaj entered to bat, Virat Kohli was seen standing with folded fingers.

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“It was obviously something I put forward to the media lady and requested that song to be played,” Maharaj, the Durban’s Super Giants skipper within the upcoming SA20, informed PTI throughout an interview.

For Maharaj, the Durban-born cricketer of Indian origin, Lord Ram is his best energy.

“For me, God’s been my greatest blessing and if I get an opportunity, it’s the least I can do and it gets you in the zone and get that respect from other players. Respecting religion and culture is important but it’s a nice feeling to hear ‘Ram Siya Ram’ being played in the background,” Maharaj stated.

Talking concerning the second version of SA20, the skipper is assured that his staff would do effectively.

“We have a balanced squad, excited to see boys hitting the straps. We saw really good wickets last year,” Maharaj stated.

Will we see him bowling extra within the Powerplay?

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“It’s a case of assessing conditions. If conditions allow me to do that, I will bowl, if not then will assess when to bowl but be a good leader on field and make good decisions tactically. Hopefully, [the] team can feed off that and the result will take care of itself,” the eloquent Maharaj stated.

With 158 wickets from 50 Tests, Maharaj is maybe the simplest sluggish bowler the Proteas have had because the finish of apartheid.

Does he at instances really feel that he isn’t celebrated sufficient in South Africa as he performs most Tests in situations that don’t swimsuit his bowling?

A working example, he didn’t get a single over within the Newlands Test in opposition to India.

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“Unfortunately, you live in a world where fast bowlers are highlighted and we have had some amazing greats to have played the game and I am here to do my job and whether I am celebrated or not doesn’t really make a difference to me,” he calmly replied.

“I want to contribute in a positive way for the team and if the team goes in [the] right way, then I have done my job.”

Maharaj remains to be the old-school spinner who depends on flight to purchase wickets fairly than simply bowling wicket to wicket.

Where does he get that get that confidence from?

“I trust my preparation and it has been years and years of hard work. The way the game is evolving, you also need to evolve your mindset. I trust my processes and analysis work that I do but most importantly, because of all [the] hard yards I have done, and it’s not always going to pay off, but obviously looks good and it’s starting to pay off,” he concluded.