David Miller: Backed in business

The 2022 season was crucial for David Miller. He had spent most of the 2020 season on the Rajasthan Royals bench and got just the one opportunity. In 2021, when he did get a run, his nine matches fetched just 123 runs at 24.80 and a strike rate of 109.73. The present is a big leap for Miller who is now in the middle of his best IPL season. With a total of 449 runs at a strike rate of 141.19 and an average of 64.14, he's established himself as the backbone of the Gujarat Titans middle order.

In what's been a very successful season for the team, and him, Miller can afford to reflect on the years gone by. The mental space he's in, he's objectively been able to look at the previous seasons and understand what went wrong. And by his own admission, the after-effects of the disastrous 2016 season lingered on for far longer than he would have liked. "I had a bad season in 2016, and since then I've never really felt backed at all. I had to go back and work on my game, try and find a way to get it going," he said ahead of the IPL final.

So what's changed this season? If you were to listen to Miller speak, in many ways a lot has changed, and in many ways much hasn't. Miller had craved the continuous backing of a franchise, which he says he never received. So that's one aspect that's helped him flourish. "It was important to give him the importance, give him that love and give him the clarity as to what we expect from him. And if he fails, it's okay; it's just a game," Hardik Pandya had said after Miller muscled Titans to the IPL final with a last-over win in Qualifier 1. "A lot of people counted David Miller out but for us he was always a match-winner from the time we bought him at the auction. I am genuinely proud of the way he has lifted his game.

"He is genuinely a damn good guy. Simply, he is a wonderful guy. I always wanted good things to happen to him. And it kind of shows if you show love and importance to an individual player, he can flourish and how."
Just words of encouragement have ensured Titans brought out the best from Miller. "Although I felt really good playing for South Africa (it was about) finding that gap (in an IPL team)," Miller started. "That's what happened this season. It allows you to not worry about the selection and you can focus on winning games.

"As you get older, you become mature as a player and you do understand different kinds of pressure. You understand what works for you as a player, and all these things come with experience. I am in a place where I am really enjoying taking on certain roles and challenges and loving being part of this team."

One of the aspects that Miller has really improved upon is his game against the spinners. In the chase against Chennai Super Kings, when Titans slipped to 87 for 5, Miller had to find a way to tackle Maheesh Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali. The plan, on the night, was simple - attack the spinners and force Jadeja to get pacers to bowl at him. Miller ended with an unbeaten 94 and won Titans the game by three wickets.

"I've worked really hard but I haven't felt like a player that's struggled against spin. But it's an area that I have had to improve," he pointed out. "In the last 3-4 years, I feel like I've changed my mindset against spin. It's about making sure that I impose myself when there's a bad ball. I am looking to score every ball but if there's a bad ball, I am in the best position to put it away. It creates a bit of pressure on the bowler instead of the bowler just bowling in and settling down.

"It's one of those things mentally I've tried to improve. It's more about the games I've played. I've been backed right from the start of the season and played all the games. It's been enjoyable that I am not in and out and I've managed to build something and keep my confidence going. As a player, if you are looked after well off the field, then you feel you can be yourself."

Miller also acknowledged he's in better hitting rhythm this season given the efforts he's put in behind the scene. "This particular IPL I've just been working on my swing and my rhythm. And the tempo of my swing. I've just been grooving that swing of mine," he said. "Whenever I am training, I am always thinking about the game scenario. Every single ball I face in the nets, I am always thinking about where the fielders will be, and what situation I will be in.

"I've been doing that since the last ten years of my career. You are not just hitting balls, you actually have a purpose to it. You can never ever have the same kind of pressure or scenario in training that you have in the game, but in your mind, you play all those scenarios as much as you can."

Miller, in hindsight, isn't bitter about Royals not backing him. In fact, they were the first franchise to put the paddle up to make a bid. He could well have ended up with them but Titans bid INR 3 crore to force Royals to back out. Had they not backed out, Miller would have been forced to compete with Shimron Hetmyer and could well have had another season on the sidelines. He now has a chance to prove to the Royals that they should have backed him more.