‘One for the Wall’ – Keshav Maharaj gets signed India jersey from Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli & Keshav Maharaj. (Photo Source: Instagram/Keshav Maharaj)

An intense multi-format series between India and South Africa concluded on Thursday, January 4. India levelled the two-match Test series by winning the second Test in Cape Town by seven wickets.

The game also marked the last international appearance of legendary South African opener Dean Elgar. After the match, Virat Kohli was seen presenting a signed Indian jersey to the left-handed batter. However, Elgar wasn’t the only South African player to receive a signed Indian jersey from the former India captain.

On his official Instagram account, Proteas spinner Keshav Maharaj posted a picture with Kohli, where the duo are seen holding an India jersey signed by the legendary batter. “To Keshav, With Best Wishes,” was written on the jersey that also had Kohli’s signature on it.

“One for the Wall, Thank you @virat.kohli,” a delighted Maharaj wrote in the caption. He also added the ‘salute’ and ‘namaste’ emojis in his caption.

Maharaj didn’t play the first Test in Centurion as the hosts went in with an all-pace attack. In the Cape Town Test, Maharaj returned to the playing XI. However, the conditions were favourable to the pacers and it meant that the Durban-born didn’t get to bowl a single over in any of the innings.

How did Virat Kohli fare in the Test series?

Kohli finished as the highest run-getter in the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 765 runs in 11 games, at an average of 95.62. He was rested for the subsequent white-ball assignments against Australia and South Africa. However, he made himself available for the Tests in the Rainbow Nation.

In adverse batting conditions, the Delhi batter showed his class as he finished with 172 runs from four innings, averaging 43. Only Elgar (201 runs in three innings) scored more runs in the series than Kohli.

India’s next assignment is a three-match T20I home series against Afghanistan. Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who have not played for India in the shortest format of the game since the 2022 T20 World Cup, are reportedly in line to make a comeback in the series.