Indian skipper KL Rahul showered praise on Sanju Samson after they defeated South Africa by 78 runs at Boland Park, Paarl on Thursday to bag the three-match series by 2-1. After being put into bat, India posted a par score of 296 runs on the board and then they were able to skittle out the Proteas at 218 to win comprehensively.

Sanju Samson was the star of the show in the first innings as the flamboyant batter scored his maiden ODI century. Samson scored a fine knock of 108 runs off 114 balls with the help of six fours and three maximums.

The stylish batter did slow down a bit after skipper KL Rahul was dismissed but he was able to change gears towards the end. Samson added a fine alliance of 116 runs with Tilak Varma, who scored 52 runs.

Rahul said Samson has been a phenomenal performer in the IPL over the years. Samson has scored 3888 runs in 152 IPL matches at an average of 29.23 and a strike rate of 137.19.

KL Rahul said in the post-match presentation, “Always love being around the boys. Nice to get back on the cricket field after a disappointing world cup. Have played with a lot of them in the IPL, nice to get out here and play with them. Usually, my message is to always enjoy the game, to give your best and not worry about the rest.”

He added, “They’re great cricketers but few of them haven’t played internationally so it’s about giving them some time to adjust. It’s about making their roles clear and they all gave their 100% so nothing more I can ask. Sanju has been a phenomenal performer in the IPL, unfortunately hasn’t got a lot of chances at the top of the order for various reasons but nice to see him do well today.”

On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh returned with impressive figures of 4-30 and played a key role in bundling out South Africa at 218.

The first Test match between India and South Africa will be played at the SuperSport Park, Centurion from December 26.