David Miller's blunder cost DC the game by just one run.
Chasing 210 runs, DC looked down and out once KL Rahul got out for 92 runs. But then David Miller hammered 41* runs and took DC to the door of victory. He looked in total control, taking on GT with clean hitting, but the final two deliveries flipped the narrative entirely and ended in a stunning anticlimax.
Miller turned down a single with two outs, forcing the game to a frantic last-ball conclusion. He was then undone by a smart, slower bouncer, forcing him to scamper for a bye to even the score. However, Kuldeep Yadav was caught short by Jos Buttler's superb toss, resulting in a devastating one-run defeat for the Delhi Capitals.
Harbhajan Singh spoke about David Miller’s decision not to take a single that could have leveled the scores and secured a tie for DC. However, he said that Miller’s decision proved costly, flipping the match on its head and handing the advantage to the opposition.
Harbhajan even poked fun at Miller, claiming that for a brief moment, he appeared to be still playing for his former team.
“He (David Miller) tried to play the hero and said no, I’ll hit two runs on the last ball. What happened after that? The last ball ended up being a dot ball, Kuldeep got run out, and the match they were set to win was lost. Gujarat Titans said, Thank you very much, David Miller, because what you did made it feel like you are still part of GT," Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Continuing his severe criticism, Harbhajan alluded to a lack of trust in the partnership, claiming Miller misunderstood the scenario by failing to support Kuldeep in a critical moment.
He believed that a simple single would have left Delhi Capitals in control and opened up more options, including a Super Over, rather than closing the door on themselves.
“He’s (Kuldeep Yadav) not so inexperienced in batting that he can’t handle it. He can connect with the ball reasonably well. David Miller just needed to trust his partner a little. I think if they had taken a run on the fifth ball, then on the sixth ball, even if Kuldeep got out, there would still have been a chance. The Capitals had a chance. If it went to a Super Over, they would have gotten another opportunity. But they didn’t give themselves any chance," he added.
Harbhajan didn’t let Miller off easily and questioned his decision-making under pressure and his track record in finishing games. While he did praise Miller for his prowess, Harbhajan drew a clear boundary between being a strong player and a great one, stressing that the latter exploits such opportunities and closes out matches.
“From my understanding, it’s beyond me how this is even possible. What could have been going through his mind? It’s not that Kuldeep doesn’t know how to bat. But when pressure situations come, I’ve seen David Miller, and maybe it’s just his luck. He’s an excellent player, a very strong player. But I think the difference between a strong player and a great player is this: a great player finishes the match. And we’ve rarely seen David Miller finish matches. When we did see him do it, he helped the Gujarat Titans win the title. But today he was very sad because he knew a mistake had been made. That mistake cost them two points," he said.