"I have been a huge fan of Sanju Samson"- AB de Villiers delighted to see Indian batter picked for Afghanistan T20Is

Former South African legendary cricketer AB de Villiers has been pretty vocal about how he has always admired Indian batter Sanju Samson. He has seen him prosper at the Rajasthan Royals over the past decade in the IPL and is delighted to see him feature in India's T20I squad against Afghanistan.

Samson can bat anywhere in the top four and that could be handy for India with the likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya out injured for the series. He could fight for the wicketkeeping spot alongside Jitesh Sharma.

In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what AB de Villiers had to say about Sanju Samson (9:55):

"I have been a huge fan of Sanju Samson. I think he is a wonderful player. He has been an incredible performer for the Rajasthan Royals for many years. It is great to see him back in the squad (against Afghanistan)." [9:50 onwards]

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AB de Villiers had predicted Sanju Samson's success in South Africa

Before India's tour to South Africa, AB de Villiers had made a video on his YouTube channel previewing the squads announced for all three formats. Having missed the 2023 World Cup, Sanju Samson was named in the ODI squad and De Villiers was confident that he would enjoy batting on the South African pitches.

Here's what he had stated:

"It’s great to see him in the team. He will enjoy the South African wickets. He stands tall when he bats. There’s a bit of bounce and movement and all the batters will be tested. But someone like Sanju, I think, will do well. And he also gives you an option with the gloves."

The prediction was accurate as Samson brought up his maiden hundred for India in the third and final ODI at Paarl. He will be hopeful of making his opportunity count in the T20Is against Afghanistan.