Sanju Samson became the first Indian to score consecutive centuries in T20Is.
Sanju Samson is making headlines after scoring his second T20I century. The right-handed batsman scored 107 runs in the first T20I against South Africa on Friday, marking his second consecutive century in T20Is after scoring 111 runs against Bangladesh in October. With this, he became the first Indian to achieve the feat of scoring consecutive centuries in T20Is.
Samson’s performance helped India win easily, and former South Africa captain AB de Villiers praised the 29-year-old, saying he has taken his game to a higher level.
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De Villiers says Samson’s success is not just due to Gambhir’s influence
Taking to his YouTube channel, the South African legend shared his thoughts on Sanju Samson’s improving performance. While Samson credits Gautam Gambhir for some of his success as a T20I opener, AB de Villiers disagrees. He clarified that he did not mean to disrespect the coaches, but believes that Samson’s growth is due to his own maturity.
The former Proteas captain expressed his hope of seeing Samson play in all formats and suggested that the coaching staff may not have played a big role in his resurgence.
“Sanju has changed gears and I hope the selectors are looking at him in all formats of the game. He is a player of all formats. Samson is a special player who can achieve success in all conditions of the world. I doubt the coaching staff has any role in his brilliant batting,” AB de Villiers said.
“I mean no disrespect to Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, Morne Morke and Ryan ten Doeschate. “I feel like this guy has become more mature and has realized the importance of giving consistent performances,” he added.
Since his T20I debut in 2015, Samson had an inconsistent career at the highest level, often getting dropped and retired. However, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir, he appears to be unleashing his true potential, benefiting from regular opportunities in the team.
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