Killer Miller, aka David Miller, may seem quiet and reserved, but the talented southpaw knows how to use the long lever efficiently. Miller, a mainstay of South Africa’s limited-overs setup, has yet to recognise his full ability on the international stage.
Career
Domestic career
Miller made his first-class debut in the Dolphins’ final game of the domestic SuperSport Series in 2007–08, batting first and scoring a half-century in the first innings. Miller played in eight one-day MTN Domestic Championship matches that season, but his final match was called off after just three overs. Throughout the competition, Miller averaged 13 runs per game, helping the Dolphins finish fifth in the league. He was a member of a South African A team that played Bangladesh A and ended second in run scoring, earning him a senior call-up.
IPL Career
Miller was signed by Punjab for $100,000 for the 2011 IPL season as a backup for Dimitri Mascarenhas, but he did not feature in a single game. Miller contributed to remaking statistics when playing for the Kings XI Punjab in the 2013 Indian Premier League, scoring the third-fastest IPL century with a score of 101* in just 38 balls in Mohali. He hit 418 home runs with a 59.71 batting average. He had three fiftys and a hundred on the board. This is where his followers started to refer to him as Killer Miller.
However, due to the team’s bad results, he was relieved of his captaincy duties and the team did not retain him during the 2018 IPL season.
David Miller was purchased by Rajasthan Royals for INR 75 lakh during the IPL Players Auction ahead of IPL 2020 after playing for Kings XI Punjab for a number of years. The left-handed batsman has established himself as a key member of South Africa’s middle order and will play a key role for RR. Though Miller has switched from KXIP to RR, expect him to go all out in IPL 2020 as RR tries to win their second title.
ODI Career
On May 22, 2010, Miller made his One-Day International debut against the West Indies. He put in yet another strong display, scoring 23 runs without being dismissed and guiding South Africa to victory. He was included in South Africa’s preliminary 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup squad due to his outstanding results, but he did not make the final cut.
Miller’s first ODI century didn’t come until 2015, when he scored 130 against the West Indies in January. He got off to a flying start in the competition, scoring 138 off just 92 balls in South Africa’s first game against Zimbabwe. He and Jean Paul Duminy (115*) put up the highest fifth-wicket partnership in World Cup history, with a 256-run stand. Miller went on to have a whirlwind cameo in the crucial semifinal against New Zealand, smashing 49 off just 18 balls but still losing the match. He was also named in the South African squad for the Champions Trophy after a strong IPL season.He was also a part of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, but his result was abysmal, just like South Africa’s. He only managed to score 138 runs in six matches.
T20 Career
In his first T20 match, he scored 33 off 26 balls, with the Proteas ultimately winning by a single run. In the second T20I against Bangladesh in 2017, he scored his first T20I century and the fastest century in T20I history (35 balls).
Family
David Miller was born in Pietermaritzburg on June 10, 1989. David grew up in a family where his father was a club level cricketer who inspired him to try cricket as a career.