David Miller recalls how injury to Stuart Broad started his IPL journey with KXIP

Miller made his IPL debut in 2012 and played 79 matches for Kings XI Punjab.

David Miller | IANS

South Africa batsman David Miller recalled how injuries to multiple players, including England's Stuart Broad, led Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) to pick him and start off his journey in the Indian Premier League (IPL). 

Miller, who scored 1850 runs at an average of 34.26 and a strike-rate of 138.78 in 79 matches for KXIP, wouldn't have played for the franchise without that stroke of luck. 

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During an Instagram live with Zimbabwean commentator Pommie Mbangwa, Miller reminisced how he received a phone call from the team less than two weeks prior to the 2011 season of IPL, making his debut in the league the following year. 

"The first year, I went into the auction and I did not get picked up, literally 10 days before the IPL, I got a call from Kings XI Punjab and they said we are selecting you and you need to come over as soon as possible, there was an injury to Stuart Broad so I packed my bags and I went to India," said Miller. 

"That’s where it all started, it was an incredible journey, firstly it was a just a one year deal, but then they retained me for the next two years at my base price. The first three years of mine at IPL were incredible."

Miller said it felt like a dream to play under Adam Gilchrist, the legendary Australian wicketkeeper batsman, someone he had grown up admiring. 

"Adam Gilchrist was the captain at that time, growing up I always looked up to him and Matthew Hayden, I watched Australia play at 3 am in the morning, Gilchrist was captaining me, we had a lot of greats in our side, so it was a dream for me."

"In my first year, I did not get a single game at the IPL halfway through my second year, I got three games and then in my third year, Adam Gilchrist was retiring, he actually pulled his both hamstrings, I then got a game and that’s when I played my 101 run knock against RCB," added the 30-year-old. 

Loss of form, however, ended Miller's sojourn with KXIP, as the team released him ahead of IPL 2020. 

The league's 13th edition was due to start on March 29 but remains indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. 

(Inputs from CricketNext)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 25 May, 2020

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