Former South Africa fast bowler, Dale Steyn has expressed an immense liking for Sanju Samson and compared the latter to Yuvraj Singh after the wicket-keeper batter’s valiant knock against the Proteas in the first ODI on Thursday. Chasing a target of 250 to win in the match in a rain-curtailed game that was reduced to 40 overs a side, Samson’s knock kept India in the hunt till the very last over of the match.

Needing 30 runs from the last six balls, the wicketkeeper almost pulled it off as he took the attack to Tabraiz Shamsi. However, India fell short by nine runs despite Samson’s unbeaten 86.

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Speaking on the post-match discussion on Star Sports, as quoted by Hindustan Times, Steyn said that he did feel a bit nervous when Kagiso Rabada delivered a no-ball in the last ball of his over as he feels Samson is someone who can take down bowlers with relative ease.

Explaining the same, Dale Steyn said, “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.”

The former Proteas fast bowler also went on to say that the Indian wicketkeeper-batter has the potential of Yuvraj Singh and get the team across the line even if 30+ runs are needed in the final over.

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Elaborating the same, Dale Steyn said, “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 the kind of guy who has the potential of Yuvi, to hit those six sixes and get team across the line when it needs 30+.”