Keshav Maharaj visits Ram Mandir in Ayodhya

Keshav Mahraj. (Photo Source: Instagram)

South Africa’s left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj visited the Ayodhya Ram Mandir on Wednesday, March 21. Renowned for its significance in Hindu culture, Ayodhya, a city in Uttar Pradesh, is known as the birthplace of Lord Rama.

Back in January, Maharaj had opened up about his desire to visit the temple. He had missed the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at Ram Temple in Ayodhya held on January 22, as he was taking part in the second edition of the SA20 where he was leading Durban Super Giants, a sister franchise of Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG). The 33-year-old had said that his family always had the desire to go on a pilgrimage to India.

Maharaj took to his official Instagram handle to share a photo of himself in Ayodhya Temple and captioned, “Jai Shree Raam. Blessings to everyone.”

Also read: Would definitely love to go and see the Ram temple in Ayodhya: Keshav Maharaj

See Keshav Maharaj’s Instagram post:

Keshav Maharaj’s stunning numbers in international cricket

Maharaj, a versatile left-arm orthodox spinner, and lower-order batter, represents the South Africa national team in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. The 33-year-old made his international debut in November 2016 in the Test series against Australia in Perth.

In a significant landmark, he captained the national side for the first time in ODIs against Sri Lanka in September 2021. In addition, he made his T20I debut against the island nation in the same month and assumed the leadership role in his debut match. Notably, he etched his name in history during the Test series against West Indies in June 2021, becoming the second bowler from South Africa to claim a hat-trick in the game’s longest format.

Also read: Keshav Maharaj expects spinners to play ‘crucial role’ at T20 World Cup

He has established himself as an exceptional bowler in the South African team, having claimed over 200 wickets across all formats of the game. His bowling prowess was particularly evident during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup held in India in October-November, where he emerged as one of the standout bowlers in the marquee event. He finished as Proteas’  third-highest wicket-taker, claiming 15 wickets in 10 games at an average of 24.66 and an economy rate of 4.15.