IND vs SA: Cricket legend of South Africa AB de Villiers has finally joined the chorus of rising praise dished out upon Sanju Samson following back-to-back T20 centuries against a game on aggressive lines and a super high strike rate. But de Villiers can be very supportive of Samson but is mighty skeptical about any role that the coaching might have played in the current transformation he has shown.

Sanju Samson: Jaw Dropping Transformation

Sanju Samson had hit the headlines by performing miraculously in T20 cricket, specifically his back-to-back centuries which have been nothing less than explosive. Recently, AB de Villiers uploaded a video on YouTube where he welcomed a new entrant to the league of big hitters, Sanju Samson, pointing out the change in his batting style.

“Sanju Samson, who scored a massive 100. Back-to-back T20 hundreds, absolutely incredible,” de Villiers said. “I am proud of the guy because I know the guy and we have been in touch for quite several years, and I have always been a big fan of his game.”

I knew that day, that this guy is something special and he is proving me right,” said de Villiers, reminiscing about the early days of Samson: those days when the knock still hounds him at Chinnaswamy Stadium when at RCB, he first saw that the young cricketer was so much a gem.

Change In Samson’s Batting Approach: From Conservative To Explosive

Traditionally, Samson has always been the more conventional batter with a strike rate within the range of 140-160. But all these have changed now as the recent back-to-back hundreds have shattered this perception altogether as Samson showed an aggressive strike rate crossing over 200 in his recent games.

“Something has changed in his game,” de Villiers said. “He’s upped the gear, and it’s a great thing to watch. He makes it look easy out there, not trying too hard to entertain or experiment with creative shots. He’s sticking to what works for him.”

De Villiers has lauded Samson’s natural flair, commenting on how effortlessly he plays, focused not on pleasing anybody or showing people something but on his game instead.

Does Samson’s Coaching Staff Have Something to Do with Redemption? AB de Villiers Speaks
While everybody gives the credit for Samson’s redemption phase these past months to Suryakumar Yadav, Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman, de Villiers holds an opposite view that the redemption can’t be attributed solely to the coaching staff as that isn’t responsible for the change in him; instead, it has to do everything with a turn in personal attitude and also maturity.

“I don’t see much of an impact from the coaching staff,” de Villiers said. “No disrespect to Gautam Gambhir, VVS Laxman, or others in the coaching group, but I feel something has clicked in Samson’s head. It’s more about his realization of his potential.”

“Samson’s matured to a stage in his career, and it’s exciting for fans to see him unlock another gear in his game. I feel like there is more yet to come, and I am anxious to see that play out.“

However, of the present de Villiers on the coaching staff, Sanju Samson himself has said that Suryakumar Yadav along with the help of Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman has given him clarity which he must have needed in times of trials. And Samson himself has spoken that guidance has been key through his teammates and coaches.

In the testy phases, a lot of support has come in from Suryakumar Yadav, Gautam Gambhir, and VVS Laxman, Samson said. “Their role in giving me clarity about what I need to work on during my failures has been really important. They’ve always kept me in a good frame of mind, kept me focused.” – Samson.

Samson’s Match-Winning Performance Against South Africa

Sanju Samson was in good form in the first T20I against South Africa. His explosive 100, which contained 7 fours and 10 sixes helped India set 202/8 on the board, a total too big for South Africa to chase. Thus, after a dominant 61-run victory, India won the game.

Preview: India vs South Africa T20I Series

India and South Africa are set to collide in the second T20I of their four-match series on 10 November at St George’s Park in Gqeberha. With Samson red-hot, India will be eager to carry momentum through and assert its dominance in the shortest format of the game.