IPL 2022: 'Didn't get back up after a bad season', says David Miller before GT vs RR clash

Gujarat Titans will lock horns with Rajasthan Royals on Sunday (May 29) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 final. The last time RR featured in an IPL final, it was the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League back in 2008. On the other hand, Gujarat Titans have made an impressive debut in the top league storming into the finals with some excellent cricketing performances.

GT have found a bunch of match-winners in their first season of the IPL. One of them is South Africa's David Miller, who bats in the middle-order. Often deemed as "Killer Miller", the left-hander is known for his explosive batting skills, and he's very familiar to the tournament's intensity level following his time with the Punjab franchise in previous seasons.

Miller has scored 449 runs with an average of 64.14 so far in the IPL 2022, with two match-winning fifties in GT's road to the finals. Notably, the left-hander has crossed the 400-run mark in two consecutive seasons before - 2013 and 2014. 

However, a cricketer's form doesn't always justifies the player he is and something similar happened with Miller after two successive seasons in the IPL. Miller's form took a major dip after those two massive seasons and he was even IPL 2022's first unsold player at the mega auction.

What did Miller say about his journey?

"I feel like I am repeating myself. But one thing that changed this season, is that I am playing every game. The last four-five years in IPL... I had a bad season in 2016 and then haven’t really felt backed at all. That’s the nature of the IPL. There are so many overseas players and only four can play." 

"I had to go back and work on my game. Although I felt really good playing for the domestic teams in South Africa, I was looking to find that good nick. That’s what happened this season," Miller said during the pre-match press conference ahead of their IPL final against Rajasthan.

"I have been playing all the games and that allows you to settle down. Which helps you in not really worry about the selection, but win games," he  added.

"As you get older and mature, you do understand the pressure and how to deal with failures. What works for you as a player. What you need to do and what you don’t need to do," he added.