In a bold move, South African left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj has ventured to predict the finalists of the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, adding an element of excitement to the cricketing world’s anticipation. South African spinner Keshav Maharaj has expressed his eagerness for a showdown between the Proteas and India in the final of the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup.
Following a formidable performance by both teams in the 2023 50-over World Cup, where India secured a runners-up finish and South Africa finished second in the group stage, Maharaj is hopeful for an electrifying encounter in the T20 format.
South African spinner Keshav Maharaj dreams of an India South Africa final in the upcoming T20I World Cup in June 2024
South African spinner Keshav Maharaj has expressed his desire to see the Proteas take on India in the final of the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup.
India and South Africa enjoyed a dominant run at the 2023 50-over World Cup, finishing first and second, respectively, in the points table after the group stage.
Maharaj pointed out that many Indian fans had hoped for an India vs South Africa final at last year’s showpiece event.
During an interview with Sports Tak, he said:
“We always go there with a directive in mind to try and win the World Cup. Hopefully, we can rectify that. It’ll be amazing to have a South Africa vs India final. After the round robins (2023 ODI World Cup), just hearing the locals in India saying that they want a South Africa-India final,”
Keshav Maharaj is captaining Durban’s Super Giants in the ongoing edition of South Africa’s SA20. He spoke about how the tournament has made rapid strides in just its second season.
“The standards are quite high in the South African league, just looking at the internationals that are coming and playing across the brand and style of cricket. 200 is being chased down with ease these days. From a skill point of view, we are closing in on the IPL. It’s only been our second year,”
“The IPL is such a successful model and the standard of cricket is extremely high. I’m hoping that the SA20 can bridge that gap as the years go by and go as close as possible to the IPL,”
The Super Giants have performed admirably in the SA20 2024 becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs. With six wins from eight outings, they are currently the table-toppers in the tournament.
Keshav Maharaj on Ram Mandir and his desire to visit it in India.
Keshav Maharaj is a staunch devotee of Lord Hanuman and Lord Ram. The cricket star also requested for the song ‘Ram Siya Ram’ to be played when he walked out to bat during South Africa’s multi-format series against India.
Mentioning that he looks forward to visiting the newly built Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the 33-year-old said:
“Unfortunately, the schedule doesn’t allow us to visit the inauguration, but am sure in the future I definitely would love to go and experience the temple in Ayodhya.
“Hopefully in the near future, we can arrange for that, maybe the Lucknow franchise. My family always wanted to go on a pilgrimage to India. So, it will be a nice family trio to go across,” he added.
Keshav Maharaj will next be seen in action when the Super Giants take on Pretoria Capitals at Kingsmead in Durban on Tuesday, January 30.