Return to ancestral home makes Maharaj’s IPL debut extra special
THERE is something special about late bloomers. They have to endure extended periods of self-doubt and have to learn to master the art of patience. Durban-born spinner Keshav Maharaj is one of the special cases of late bloomers.
It took Maharaj eight years of international cricket to finally attract the attention of the Indian Premier League (IPL) bosses, making the long journey to the biggest stage a little sweeter.
The slow left-arm orthodox now has two IPL games under the belt and has returned impressive figures of 2-23 and 0-16.
“It’s a privilege to be part of the official squad of the Rajasthan Royals,” said Maharaj.
“Having played my first game, I think it was a beautiful experience, the fans are amazing over here.”
The 34-year-old caught the attention of the Rajasthan Royals, a team situated in the northern parts of India, an area of deep significance for the Maharaj family at large.
Maharaj’s great-grandfather hailed from Sultanpur, a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India, before he migrated to Durban in 1874.
It has made the spinner’s journey a lot more satisfying, having been roped in by the Rajasthan Royals as a replacement for the injured Indian fast bowler, Prasidh Krishna.
Maharaj described the feeling of playing his debut IPL season in northern India as nostalgic.
“It’s a very nostalgic feeling to come back to a place where your great-grandparents were born,” he said.
“For my family, it’s definitely one of the highlights of my career being able to don the Rajasthan Royals shirt. (It makes me) emotional for all the years of hard work to see it working out and coming together.”
Moreover, the spinner is surrounded by some of this generation’s best spinners, including Ravichandran Ashwin, a stalwart with a century of Test matches under the belt and over 500 wickets for India.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, another India international, also bowls alongside Maharaj in the pink and navy-blue colours of the Rajasthan Royals, making up an impressive spin trio.
Maharaj aims to pick the brains of these generational talents in an attempt to further strengthen his game and widen his repertoire.
The 34-year-old is also well-known for his preparation.
“I am someone who does a lot of research. I watch a lot of videos and watch a lot of cricket. So I’d like to think it’s the homework that I do off the field that translates on the field,” he continued. “To play with someone like Ash (Ashwin) and Yuzvi (Chahal), it’s one of the greatest learning curves of my career.”
The Rajasthan Royals return to action on Saturday where they will take on Quinton de Kock’s Lucknow Super Giants.