Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn heaped huge praise on India wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson and said he has the potential to hit 6 sixes in an over. Samson fought a big battle on Thursday against the Proteas in the first ODI but failed to win it for India. In a thrilling contest, Samson scored an unbeaten 86 runs and tried his best to get his team over the line but South Africa managed to pull off a 9-run victory.
30 runs were required from the last over and Samson tried hard to achieve it but he only managed to collect 20 off it. The match turned completely in the penultimate over where Samson didn’t get the chance to face any ball as Rabada was right on the money against Avesh Khan for the first five deliveries.
ALSO READ: ‘Will be Difficult for Selectors to Get Right Team For 2023 World Cup’ – VVS Laxman
Steyn admitted that he got a bit nervous when Kagiso Rabada bowled a no-ball in the penultimate over as he feels Samson has the ability to take down any bowler and hit boundaries at will.
“As soon as KG (Kagiso Rabada) bowled that no-ball in the last ball of his over, I was like, ‘please don’t let this happen’. Because you never know with someone like Sanju, especially with the form that he has got and the belief that he has. I watched him in the IPL, his ability to take down the bowlers and hit boundary at will, especially in the last 2 overs of the game, is incredible," said Steyn on Star Sports after the match.
In the final over, Tabraiz Shamsi started with a wide ball and Samson followed it up by smashing 14 runs off the next three balls. He failed to connect two balls and South Africa ended up on the winning side.
Steyn said that Samson has the potential to pull off a Yuvraj Singh who smashed Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup.
“Shamsi was going to bowl the last over and he (Samson) knew he (Shamsi) had a rough day. I was nervous when KG bowled the no ball. Because Sanju is a kind of guy who has the potential of Yuvi, to hit those six sixes and get team across the line when it needs 30+," said Steyn.
Get the latest Cricket News, Schedule and Cricket Live Scores here
Comments
0 comment