Former South African batter AB de Villiers feels no coach has played any role in Sanju Samson’s resurgence after his century in the opening T20I against South Africa at Kingsmead, Durban on Friday. Samson scored a fine knock of 107 runs off just 50 balls with the help of seven fours and 10 maximums.
Thus, he played a key role in helping India post a par score of 202 runs on the board after Aiden Markram decided to bowl first. This was Samson’s second consecutive T20I century and he became the first Indian batter to score back-to-back T20I hundreds.
Samson has given credit to head coach Gautam Gambhir for helping him turn the tables but AB de Villiers thinks otherwise.
AB de Villiers said on his YouTube Channel, “Sanju has upped the gear in his game. I hope the selectors are watching this for all the formats. I wan to see this guy play all the formats. I think he is someone who is really really special, someone who can play all the formats, in all conditions around the world. Something has clicked in the Sanju Samson world, whether it’s the coaching staff, I doubt it.”
The former RCB batter feels Samson has reached a maturity point, which is helping him reap rewards.
“No disrespect to VVS Laxman, Gautam Gambhir, Ryan ten Doeschate and Morne Morkel, whoever is a part of the coaching group. I just feel that this guy has reached the maturity point, he has realized something.”
AB recalled how Sanju Samson impressed him when he scored a century against RCB in the IPL. The South African also lauded the Kerala batter for scoring his runs at a healthy strike rate.
“He scored a 100 once at the Chinnaswamy Stadium against RCB, I was on the park and I realised that day, that this guy is something special and he is proving me right.”
“For those of you who have followed Sanju Samson, I haven’t often seen him bat at a strike rate of more than 200, he is generally more conservative, he is usually between 140-160 and both these hundreds he has scored back-to-back have been very very fast and especially this last hundred.”
The second T20I between India and South Africa will be played at the St George’s Park, Gqeberha on Sunday.
