"It is privilege to be part of Rajasthan Royals": Keshav Maharaj ahead of IPL 2024 clash against MI

In an exciting clash between two batting powerhouses, Rajasthan Royals (RR) will meet Mumbai Indians (MI) for the second time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at their home stadium. This will be the Royals' fifth and final match in Jaipur this season, having won three and lost one in their previous encounters here.

Maharaj asserted that it was a very nostalgic feeling when you play at a place where great-great-great-grandparents were born.

"It is a privilege to be part of the Rajasthan Royals squad. Playing my first game was a beautiful experience, and the fans in Jaipur are amazing. It's a very nostalgic feeling coming back to where great-great-great-grandparents were born. Playing for the Rajasthan side is one of the highlights of my career," Maharaj said in a video posted by IPL.

Further, Maharaj spoke about the spinners of his IPL team, Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal.

"To play with someone like Ash and Yuzi bhai is one of the greatest learnings of my career. Ash is someone who is always eager to pass on knowledge and experience. Yuzi bhai tried to emulate these things and that is the one reason that has made him successful over the years," the Proteas spinner added.

Maharaj said that he had followed legendary spinners Muttiah Murlidharan and Shane Warne. He went on to say that if he is able to achieve half of what they have then he would have a successful career.

"I have always looked up to Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. They have the ability to dismiss the batter from their skill set. If I could achieve half of what they have them I would really be successful," the South African player concluded.

The Royals registered a stunning two-wicket win away at Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous game last week. Mumbai Indians defeated Punjab Kings by nine runs in their last outing at Mohali on Thursday.

Rajasthan Royals continue their reign on top of the IPL 2024 standings with 12 points and a net run rate of +0.677 by winning six matches and losing just one. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians have played seven games this season, winning three and losing four. MI are currently sixth in the IPL standings with six points and an NRR of -0.133.

RR squad for IPL 2024: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson (w/c), Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Avesh Khan, Kuldeep Sen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jos Buttler, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Shubham Dubey, Navdeep Saini, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Keshav Maharaj, Tanush Kotian, Donovan Ferreira, Abid Mushtaq, Kunal Singh Rathore.

MI squad for IPL 2024: Ishan Kishan (w), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Gerald Coetzee, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah, Akash Madhwal, Nuwan Thushara, Kumar Kartikeya, Piyush Chawla, Naman Dhir, Luke Wood, Harvik Desai, Shams Mulani, Arjun Tendulkar, Nehal Wadhera, Shivalik Sharma, Anshul Kamboj, Dewald Brevis, Kwena Maphaka. (ANI)