South African spinner Keshav Maharaj extended his good wishes to India and prayed for peace and harmony in the country on the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The event took place on January 22 in which the statue of Bhagwan Ram was installed with religious rituals in the sanctum sanctorum.

The event was attended by the who’s who of the country including PM Narendra Modi and cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Mithali Raj, Venkatesh Prasad, and Anil Kumble.

Meanwhile, Maharaj, who is an ardent devotee of Bhagwan Ram, has shared his wish to visit the Ram Mandir in India with his family. Maharaj is currently leading the Durban Super Giants in SA20 2024.

Durban Super Giants are a sister franchise of IPL team, Lucknow Super Giants. Maharaj hoped that the Lucknow franchise could help him in planning a trip to Ayodhya.

"Unfortunately, the schedule didn't allow me to visit during the inauguration of the temple. But in the future, I would definitely love to go and see the temple in Ayodhya. Fingers crossed. Maybe in the future, we can arrange for that. My family has always wanted to go on a pilgrimage to India. So maybe it will be a nice family trip to go across to Ayodhya,” Maharaj told SportsTak.

WATCH- “Jai Shree Ram”- Keshav Maharaj wishes Indian community ahead of Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha

Whenever Maharaj entered the field during the recent India series in South Africa, the DJ at the ground played the ‘Ram Siya Ram’ song. He later revealed that he had requested the DJ to play the song for him.

"My faith in god is very staunch. I always believe that God has given me perspective and guidance and put me in the situation where I am today. I am always grateful and give thanks. I am a staunch devotee of Lord Hanuman and Lord Ram.

So, it's the least I can do to say thank you and get me in my zone, and make me focused by hearing 'Ram Siya Ram' play in the background. So, I sent the request through to the DJ and I am very fortunate that he could play the song for me when I entered," he added.