When David Miller’s name came up on day one of the 2022 Indian Premier League mega auctions (February 12), he went unsold at the base price of INR 1 crore. But, he was brought back into the auction pool at the request of certain franchises and went under the hammer again on day two (February 13).
Two franchises put in bids. They wrestled for his signature 16 times, back and forth, before the winning bid stopped at INR 3 crore. Coincidentally, the two teams were Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals. They clashed in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday night, with Miller’s half-century sealing a final spot for the Titans in their maiden IPL season.
Gujarat’s victory procession began back in February itself. While doubting Thomases were wondering about their team composition, the Titans quietly worked on their path to the knockouts. Six successful chases in the league stage, a seventh in the qualifier, and despite middling hiccups, Gujarat are well placed to become only the second franchise to lift the title in its maiden season.
There has been so much talk about how captain Hardik Pandya and coach Ashish Nehra have strung together a unit that knows its limitations, and further knows how to exceed them. Be it Rahul Tewatia, or Rashid Khan, Pandya himself or Wriddhiman Saha, Matthew Wade or Shubman Gill, Mohammed Shami or Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal or Alzarri Joseph, each of them has stood up at different times during the league stage.
Different matches, different situations, and different match-winners; it is almost becoming a cliché when talking about the Titans. And Miller is very much a part of it. Five weeks ago, he smacked 94 off 51 balls as Gujarat stunned Chennai Super Kings to continue their winning run. And the burly South African showed his soft side after the win.
“I know I am backed 100 per cent by Gujarat Titans and it is nice to play every game,” he had said, after fashioning a come-from-behind victory for his team. Truth told it wasn’t the kind of innings you associate with Miller, at least not in the IPL. He had to hold one end together, farm strike at times, and only then he could unleash his strokes. When was the last time Miller played a match-winning knock in the IPL?
Perhaps in IPL 2013, when he smacked a 101 not out off 38 balls against RCB. In 2014, he was retained at a whopping INR 12.5 crore, an increase from the initial INR 6 crore the previous season. While he scored 446 runs for the Kings in IPL 2014, it was their best-ever finish that season (runners-up). Thereafter though, the returns, well, were not at par. There was a gradual decrease in the runs Miller scored, and then his game-time started going down as well. In 2016, he played 14 games and scored only 161 runs for Punjab. Since then, he never played a majority of the games, and was released in 2020, when Rajasthan bought him for a paltry INR 75 lakhs.
It was a far cry from his earlier impact, and Miller seemed lost. For Rajasthan he played 10 games across two seasons, scoring 124 runs. The damage was done – franchises saw him as a power-hitter who could change the game in a flash but there was more to Miller. Quite a few reputations have been ruined in this manner in the IPL. Luckily enough, Gujarat gave him a lifeline.
Miller has played all 15 games this season. It has resulted in his best-ever yield in the IPL: 449 runs at SR 141.19, with one more game to go. There is solid logic behind this backing; a 10-team IPL has stretched squads thin. Franchises have had to choose their impact players meticulously and give them a regular spot in the playing eleven. Look up Gujarat’s squad – even if on reputation, who would play if not Miller?
Gujarat have stretched this reasoning beyond measure. It is seen in the free-spirited environment created by the captain-coach combination, one that comes through with assurances. Perhaps Nehra derives it from his days under Sourav Ganguly for team India, and Pandya absorbed it from the trust Mumbai Indians placed in him over the years. There is no scattergun approach as per performances; each of the Titans has been asked to find his comfort zone and perform.
When you don’t perish because of a poor run, any cricketer would find that extra mile within him to push the envelope. It is precisely what Miller and others at this franchise have done. They have taken a chance to go for the jugular, pushed the boundaries and reaped rewards, repeatedly.
Rajasthan then, for the second time this season, were at Gujarat’s receiving end. It began with Rashid Khan sucking out momentum against Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson. That partnership could have stolen the game away, but neither batsman was able to comprehend Khan’s googlies. It allowed the Titans to pull back the score, otherwise, the pitch and batting conditions were good enough for 200-plus.
Perhaps fielding was the differentiator between the two sides, with Rajasthan tipping the scales in their favour. But it didn’t garner enough advantage in the end, despite Gill’s run-out. At no point did Gujarat’s batsmen look harried out in the middle. The Pandya-Miller combination made sure they were ahead of the asking rate at all times, and consequently, the Royals wilted under pressure.
It was seen in the rare occurrence that both R Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal went wicket-less. The duo has shared 38 wickets this season but they were not allowed to add to the tally. Gill destroyed Ashwin, who was trying too hard to make an impact. As usual, Rajasthan held Chahal back for the last four overs. But Miller attacked him and rendered the strategy pointless. Thereafter, Obed McCoy and Prasidh Krishna were simply not good enough at the death.
It was a quintessential Gujarat win, full of control and adventure, a little bit of chutzpah, and a touch of brashness. It was so raw, yet calculated at the same time. This demeanour has paid off umpteen times this IPL season, after no one gave them a chance back in February.
The key difference: The Titans gave themselves a chance, and it’s all that matters.
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