'Sanju Samson Could Very Easily Be The Captain Of Team India,' Says AB de Villiers

Zee News

Sanju Samson has been making headlines with his impressive batting and leadership skills in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 28-year-old cricketer from Kerala has been lauded by former South African captain and IPL legend AB de Villiers for his composure and sound strategy as a captain. De Villiers went on to predict that if Samson continues to perform well, he could lead the Indian men's cricket team in the future.

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"Sanju Samson, we all know, is an incredible player, but what’s his captaincy like? I think the first thing that comes to mind for me is his composure. Calm, relaxed kind of guy. He never seems to be fussed by anything, which is a very good sign as a captain." AB de Villiers said on Jio Cinema.

"Strategically I think he’s pretty sound. I think he can still improve and will still improve over time as he gets more experience and spends more time with someone like Jos Buttler, which is a fantastic asset for him to have in his ear all the time. He’s got so much to learn there," he added.

Samson has been a part of the IPL for many years and has played some outstanding innings for his teams. In the last couple of years, he has also been impressed with his leadership skills, which has raised his stock. He was appointed as the skipper of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2021, but the team could only manage to win five out of 14 matches. However, last year, with a more balanced squad at his disposal, Samson led the Royals to the final of the IPL for the first time since the 2008 season.

De Villiers was all praises for Samson's leadership skills for RR and spoke very highly about his performances as skipper in the IPL. He described Samson as a calm and relaxed kind of guy who never seems to be fussed by anything, which is a very good sign as a captain. According to De Villiers, Samson is strategically sound and can still improve over time as he gains more experience and spends more time with experienced players like Jos Buttler.

"But I think he’s got all the credentials to be a wonderful captain. Who knows, possibly even one day in a year or two or three’s time, in one of the formats in the India team, he could very easily be the captain there, and I think it will do his cricket the world of good. If he can stay as captain for long periods of time, I think he’s going to go places with it," AB de Villiers concluded.

De Villiers went on to say that if Samson continues to perform well for Team India in the coming years, he will not be surprised to see him as the captain of the Men in Blue in the next one or two years. He believes that Samson has all the credentials to be a wonderful captain, and if he can stay as captain for long periods of time, he's going to go places with it. Samson's impressive performances in the IPL have not gone unnoticed, and AB de Villiers' prediction about him being a future captain of the Indian cricket team has certainly raised many eyebrows. With his talent, composure, and sound strategy as a captain, Samson could well be the next big thing in Indian cricket.