Best Innings of David Miller in IPL

Looking at his numbers, one would say that South African batsman David Miller has had a great time in IPL so far. Having an average of nearly 35, with an impressive strike rate of just under 140 would be considered a tremendous success. Despite that, Miller does not often get the praises he should.

Bought by Kings XI Punjab in 2012, Miller was a crucial part of the Punjab team that made it to the finals in 2014. Lately, he has found it tough to find his form of 2014 and 2015 as finds himself in the early thirties. But he still continues to be a threat that should not be taken lightly. He has had quite a few superb knocks in his 79-matches long career.

Let us have a look at the top 5 innings of David Miller in IPL:

5. 54 (30) vs Rajasthan Royals

The first mention on our list of top 5 innings of David Miller in IPL is from the 2015 season, which though was not as impressive as 2014, but was still pretty decent. This knock is from a match between Miller’s Punjab and Rajasthan Royals at the Sardar Patel Stadium.

Batting first, Royals score a gigantic 191. Punjab lost Virender Sehwag early, but Shaun Marsh and Murali Vijay got them back in the game. David Miller came at number three, with around 11 overs to play and more than 130 runs still to be scored. He played a classy knock of 54 runs from 30 deliveries, which included five sixes. His knock helped Punjab tie the score, and they eventually won the game via super over.

Also Read: Top 5 Innings of Ambati Rayudu

4. 51* (19) vs Rajasthan Royals

This knock is from 2014, which can be considered as both Miller’s and Punjab’s best-ever season in IPL. Here again, Miller scored a half-century against Rajasthan Royals, but this time it was twice as aggressive. Another interesting coincidence is that Royals batted first in this game and scored exactly 191.

Punjab too had a similar start, losing opener Virender Sehwag very early on. Wriddhiman Saha soon followed suit, but Cheteshwar Pujara and Glenn Maxwell settled things up. When Miller came to bat, he didn’t have to think about building a partnership as that bit was already done. But Punjab was miles off the required run rate, and Miller needed to fire. He set the game ablaze with his unbeaten knock of 51 runs from just 19 balls, which included six sixes. This time the conclusion wasn’t as dramatic, as Punjab won the game with eight balls to spare.

Also Read: Top 5 Innings of Faf du Plessis

3. 80 (41) vs Pune Warriors India

David Miller debuted in IPL in 2013, but he could only score 98 runs in that season. He exploded in 2013 when fans got to see extraordinary knocks like this one against Pune Warriors India. Punjab hosted the now-disbanded franchise at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.

Batting first, Pune put up a competitive total of 185. Punjab had a horrific start, losing two wickets inside the first couple of overs. Mandeep Singh and Manan Vohra tidied the mess up, but the former soon found himself dismissed after a few overs. Miller came in and set up a match-winning partnership with Singh. He scored 81 runs, 50 of which came from boundaries. He remained unbeaten as Punjab sealed the win with just a ball to spare.

Also Read: Top 5 Innings of Dwayne Bravo

2. 89* (55) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad

For the next mention on our list of top 5 innings of David Miller in IPL, we once again travel back to 2015. In this match, Punjab travelled to the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium to play against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Batting first, Hyderabad put up a commendable score of 185.

Punjab started out well but lost 3 wickets with 60 runs on the board. They were behind the required run rate as well. As wickets kept continuously falling on one end, Miller single-handedly fought to get Punjab over the line. He scored an unbeaten 89, which included as many as 9 sixes. Unfortunately, his lone efforts were not enough for Punjab.

Also Read: Top 5 Innings of Shane Watson

1. 101* (38) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

A decade or so ago, a strike rate of 265 would have been discarded as impossible. But Miller’s only IPL ton came with such a strike rate back in 2013. It was in a match between Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the IS Bindra Stadium. Batting first, Bangalore scored 190.

Punjab had a bad start and lost 3 wickets with just 51 runs on the board. Chase-master David Miller unlocked his potential to the fullest and played an outrageously impressive knock of unbeaten 101 from just 38 balls. His knock had 8 fours and 7 sixes. Punjab chased the big total down with two full overs to spare.

Also Read: Top 5 Innings of Andre Russell