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In a thrilling encounter between South Africa and India in the second T20I of the three-match series, there was a standout performance that caught the eye of former South African pacer Dale Steyn. As the Proteas emerged victorious, Steyn couldn’t help but draw parallels between one of South Africa’s key batters and India’s batting maestro, Virat Kohli.
The former speedster not only commended Proteas batter’s technical brilliance but also went on to rate his cover drive on par with Kohli’s trademark stroke.
India’s batting brilliance
The second T20I witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions for the Indian team. With a disastrous start, losing both openers for ducks, it was the skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, who exhibited determination, contributing a crucial 56 off 36 deliveries.
Rinku Singh further bolstered India’s innings with a sensational 68 off 39 deliveries. Unfortunately, rain intervened, leading to a premature end to the match with India at 180/7 in 19.3 overs.
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South Africa clinches convincing victory
In the chase, South Africa, given a revised target of 152 in 15 overs via the DLS method, displayed a power-packed performance, securing a sensational five-wicket victory. Reeza Hendricks played a pivotal role, top-scoring with 49 runs off 27 deliveries. His solid start set the stage for South Africa’s triumph.
Steyn’s praise for South Africa opener and comparison with Virat Kohli
Following the conclusion of the match, Steyn showered praise on Hendricks, emphasizing the beauty and technical finesse of his cover drives. Drawing comparisons with Kohli, Steyn highlighted Hendricks’ ability to read the game, exhibit power, and time the ball superbly. He even went on to reveal that Hendricks’ classical and beautiful drives are on par with Kohli’s signature stroke in his eyes.
“He played so beautifully, technically correct but he also has an incredible power game and he is a wonderful timer of the ball. We talk about Virat Kohli having the classical beautiful drive; Reeza Hendricks is right up there in playing that shot. You saw tonight how well he played. He read the game well, took it on when it needed to be done. It was a superb knock,” said Steyn on Star Sports.
