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According to Ab de Villiers, Samson can play in all three formats of the game and is capable of scoring runs in any conditions around the world.
Ab de Villiers backs Sanju Samson to play all three formats of the game for India. (Picture Credit: PTI, X/@BCCI)
Former South African captain and legendary batter Ab de Villiers has backed Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson to play all three formats of the game. Samson has been in red-hot form for India these days. The Kerala-based wicketkeeper-batter has scored two centuries in his last two T20Is for Men in Blue. He hammered 111 runs from 47 balls against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on October 12, 2024, and in the first T20I of the ongoing four-match series against South Africa played at Kingsmead on November 8, the right-handed batter amassed a total of 107 runs from 50 balls.
While speaking in a video uploaded from his YouTube channel after Samson sealed India’s 61-run win in Durban, Ab de Villiers said that Samson is capable of playing all three formats of the game and can score runs in all conditions around the world.
“Sanju has upped the gear in his game. I hope the selectors are watching this for all the formats. I want 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,” ABD said.
“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 realised something. It is exciting to all of us Samson fans. I think there is another gear, a sixth gear; I want to see it unfold,” he added.
According to De Villiers, he is a fan of Samson and is very proud of his recent performances.
“Sanju Samson, who scored a massive 100. Back-to-back T20 hundreds, absolutely incredible. I am incredibly proud of the guy. I say proud because I do have a personal connection with him. We have been in touch for a number of years now. I have always been a big fan of Sanju Samson; I just love the way he plays, and I always want him to do well.”
“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 and 160, and both these hundreds he has scored back-to-back have been very, very fast, especially this last hundred,” he added.
