"It'll be amazing to have a South Africa vs India final" - Keshav Maharaj on 2024 T20 World Cup
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.
While India secured a runners-up finish after losing to Australia in the summit clash, South Africa's campaign ended with a defeat against the Aussies in the semi-final.
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.
Expecting the South African league to match the standards of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the coming years, Maharaj said:
"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.
"Would love to go and experience the temple in Ayodhya" - Keshav Maharaj on Ram Mandir
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.