AHMEDABAD: The three consecutive sixes that he smashed off Prasidh Krishna to seal the first Qualifier against the Rajasthan Royals, when his team needed 16 off the final over, at the Eden Gardens sum up how lethal David Miller has become in IPL 2022. The South African’s cracking, 38-bal 68 not out turned the 189-run chase a cruise for the Gujarat Titans.
It was the umpteenth time that Miller provided the perfect finishing touches to the Gujarat Titans innings this season. While the quickfire cameos have been plenty, his top score- a match-turning 51-ball unbeaten 94 against Chennai Super Kings at Pune - was a knock for the ages, as he bailed his team out of hail in the company of Rashid Khan.
Enjoying by far the best of his nine IPL seasons so far, the 32-year-old South African has scored 449 runs in 15 games at an average of 64.14 to become the top run-scorer for Gujarat Titans in this edition. Playing at No 5, he’s looked far more dangerous than when he turned out for the Rajasthan Royals or Punjab Kings. His solid blows have been a massive factor in GT’s superb run to the final in the franchise’s first season itself.
It’s difficult to believe that this left-hander is the same batsman who was struggling to out bat to ball in IPL-2021 for the Royals-all he managed to score was 124 runs in nine matches at an average of 24.80, with just one fifty. It wasn’t a surprise when he went unsold in the first round of this year’s IPL auction, before Gujarat Titans picked him up for Rs 3 crore. So far, that buy has proved to be a steal!
Thanks to his captain Hardik Pandya, Miller has finally had ‘job security’ and ‘role clarity’ in IPL, and is making the most of it.
“Definitely something that has changed this season is that I am playing every game. The last four-five years in the IPL, I had a bad season in 2016 and since then haven’t really felt that (good) at all. It is the nature of the IPL, that there are a lot of overseas players and only four can play," explained Miller in an interaction organized by Gujarat Titans.
"I had to go back and work on my game and just try to find a way to get it going. I have been backed all the way through, playing all the games and it allows you as a player to settle and really not worry about the selection, more so (on) winning games. That has been a standout to me this season.”
Batting a spot higher at No 5, instead of No 6, has allowed him more time to get in, and the promotion also reflects the confidence that the team management has in his abilities to steer the team’s ship in the middle overs.
“This season, I’ve been batting a bit higher. I have managed to bat from the start of the season and play all the games, so it has been enjoyable that I am not in and out and I have managed to build something the whole season and keep my confidence growing.
"The backing of captain Pandya and coach Ashish Nehra has made him relaxed off the field, and that has helped him excel on the field. “I really enjoyed that and the environment has a big part to play in all our performances. As a player if you are well-looked off the field, you feel comfortable and be yourself and I am confident that for a lot of players, it will come out in the game. Credit to the management, captain, the guys have put a lot of effort in making the players comfortable,” he said.
Batting in the middle overs, Miller has managed to attack spin with ease, thus helping GT sprint at that stage of the innings.
“It has been a good season for me against spin, I must be honest. It has been something that I have worked hard on and I have never really thought that I have been a player that struggled against spin, but it is an area I had to improve. And the last three-four years I have changed my mind-set against spin. I have changed one or two things and I feel like it is just about making sure, especially in T20 cricket, that I pose myself, when there is a bad ball, I am looking to score every ball, but if there is bad ball I am in good position to put it away for a four or six, it creates a bit of pressure on bowler. So that is one of the things mentally I have tried to improve,” he explained.
At this stage of his career, Miller is benefitting from the experience he’s gained as a pro cricketer, having been a part of the IPL’s pressure cooker atmosphere for close to a decade now.
“As you play more cricket, you mature as a player and understand the different pressures and deal with failures, what works for you, what you need to do and what not. So all these come with experience and I feel I am in a place where I played for 12 years in the IPL, I have been playing 14 years of professional cricket, so I should know my game by now. I am in a place where I’m enjoying taking on certain roles and challenges and loving being part of this successful team,” he said.
After his heroics in the first qualifier, Hardik waxed eloquent on Miller, his star finisher.
“I am genuinely proud of the way he has lifted his game. He is genuinely a damn good guy. I was proud to play with him, enjoy it. He is simply such a wonderful guy, I always wanted good things to happen to him,” Hardik said.
For Hardik, it was important that Miller be given the feeling that he wouldn’t be dropped after just one or two failures. A guaranteed spot in the XI was what was denied to him by both his previous teams.
“It kind of shows that if you show love and importance to a particular player, he can flourish and how! A lot of people counted David Miller out, but for us, he was a match-winner from the time we bought him in the auction. It was important to give him that importance, clarity from what we expect from him. If he fails, it’s okay, it’s just a game,” Hardik said.
“If it's in the V, it's in the tree. If it is in the arc, it's out of the park,” joked Miller during the post-match presentation after starring in GT’s win in Qualifier One.
It’s not a joke those who're bowling to him are really enjoying!
