David Miller played one of his greatest knocks to help Gujarat Titans stun defending champions Chennai Super Kings in match 29 of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 at the MCA Stadium, Pune on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 170 runs, Miller arrived in the middle in the 6th over with high-flying IPL debutants tottering at 16/3. It soon became 48/4 in the 8th, then 87/5 in the 13th. Amid the gloom, the South African batter found an able partner in the stand-in skipper Rashid Khan, and they stitched a 70-run stand in 37 balls to turn the table on the four-time champions.
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But the defining moment (or the over) of the match came in the 18th when Rashid Khan hit Chris Jordan for 6,6,4,6 off the first four balls. The over yielded 25 runs and the target suddenly became 23 off 12, just under 12, which is normal in T20 cricket. And they reached home with a ball to spare.
After the match, Miller who won the player of the award for his unbeaten 94 off 51, hailed Rashid Khan's hitting prowess.
"Getting in at 16/3 gives me an opportunity to shine. It doesn't happen too often but when the ball was new it helps. Releases a lot of pressure, needed someone to help out at the back end," Miller told the broadcasters.
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Rashid Khan, who led the side with the regular captain Hardik Pandya sitting out due to a groin niggle, played a perfect cameo of 40 off 21 balls. The former Afghanistan national cricket team captain even reduced Miller to a second fiddle once he changed the gear. It was a knock filled with some stunning stroke-making. That knock more than made up for his dry spell during the Chennai innings.
"Exceptional over, in my opinion, that over was the game-changer and he struck it beautifully," Miller added.
The 32-year-old then said that the Titans were indeed lucky to be winning five of their first six matches in IPL 2022. In their opener, Hardik Pandya & Co. defeated fellow debutants Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in a tense chase with two balls to spare. Against Punjab Kings in their third match, Rahul Tewatia hit back-to-back sixes off the last two balls to steal a six-wicket win.
"The first couple of games we got over the line with close wins, we could've probably lost 4 out of 6 rather than win 5 of 6. The dice rolled on our side and hopefully, it continues going forward," the former Punjab player said.
Miller's unbeaten 94 is the fourth-highest score by a no. 5 batter or below in IPL. Also, the second-highest in the list is his 101 not out in 2013 against Royal Challengers Bangalore for Kings XI Punjab.
Ben Stokes' 103 not out for Rising Pune Supergiant against Gujarat Lions in 2017 is still the highest. Yusuf Pathan's 100 for Rajasthan Royals against Mumbai Indians in 2010 is third.
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Reminiscing that 101-run knock, Miller said that with the asking rate already "quite high," he just "wanted to express" himself.
"I have been really working hard on my fitness. It does take me back to memory lane (referring to 101 for KXIP). It was sort of play my game. See the ball, hit the ball," he revealed.
Gujarat Titans lead the IPL 2022 table with 10 points from six matches (five wins). They next play Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday. KKR have six points from six matches (three wins).
Chennai Super Kings next play winless Mumbai Indians on Thursday. CSK, with one win from six matches, are ninth in the ten-team table.
