Ruthless But Effective David Miller Settles In His IPL Role Without Much Ado!

David Miller

The date was May 29, 2022, which is now not almost but clearly over a year back in time. Ahmedabad was dazzling under the night skies. The crowds were on the tenterhooks as first-timers or newcomers to the famed T20 league in India, the IPL were about to see what one may not really have expected.

Under Hardik Pandya’s immensely valuable and thoughtful leadership, the team that lacked any prior experience of playing in the IPL was closing on on a run chase that didn’t seem that difficult.

As a matter of fact, the captain Hardik Pandya was himself doing the job and getting it right with the bat. Though, after scoring a swift 30-ball-34, he would walk back to the dugout.

But back in the middle, the job wasn’t done yet even as the atmosphere was buzzing.

A lot relied on a man named David Miller. Somethings are just right about him. They say, if it’s in the ‘V’, it will soon be on the tree. If it’s bowled in his arc, he’ll send it to the bark of the tree!

Killer Miller David Miller was at the other end giving great company to young Shubman Gill as the duo collectively broke into a wide array of dazzling strokes dismissing any resistance whatsoever mounted by the Rajasthan Royals.

In the end, it didn’t really require anything too drastic or outlandish for the team playing a final in its very first attempt in the IPL to go the distance.

David Miller’s big and muscular sixes were enough.

The strikingly good left hander, who’s made quite a reputation for himself as a great destroyer of bowling attacks would remain unbeaten in the end.

In so doing, he would score 32 of his team’s 133 collective runs that were required to lift the coveted IPL crown.

The strike rate of 168 was about as pivotal as the unbelievable ease with which he was clearing the ropes in that high octane evening.

And truth be told, a year down the line, not a lot has changed about David Miller

Those who watched David Miller’s final IPL game of 2022 and his first of the 2023 edition, would have witnessed a striking similarity about the batter.

The venue and the dates changed; though what didn’t in the gap of a year was David Miller’s ruthlessness with the bat. Forget not, also the relative ease with which he polishes off attacks coming truly alive especially during the run chase.

While it wasn’t the Narendra Modi stadium, on this occasion, the Arun Jaitley stadium formed the Killer Miller’s hunting ground.

The 33-year-old didn’t chose the city of Ahmedabad but India’s national capital to kickstart his IPL campaign with a bang.

Anything bowled short was treated with disdain.

The customary shuffle of the back leg whilst breaking into a big shot was there to see

David Miller remained, once again, unbeaten in what turned out to another relatively easy run chase for his Gujarat Titans side.

But is that all?

Rather interestingly, David Miller made nearly the very same score he had a year back in the mega final. While he had made 32 in 2022, he’d strike 31 unbeaten runs a few hours ago.

What was emphatic, inspiring even in some sense was that the big hitting South African had once again been part of a team win but having only landed in India just a few hours back.

It’s not that the greats don’t need preparation. But certainly there are those in this great game that don’t always need heavy acclimatisation to settle in and get the feel.

By the looks of it, David Miller doesn’t. The good news for Gujarat is that a titan of the game seems in fine touch. But that’s also the reason for concern for the bowlers in this IPL.

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