Veteran South Africa batter David Miller stated that the Delhi Capitals team have deliberately avoided placing blame on specific players and is still committed to making a late comeback into the IPL playoffs.
Delhi is currently in a must-win situation going into the last stretch of the league stage after enduring a challenging time characterized by batting collapses and expensive fielding errors. To remain in the running for the playoffs, DC must now win each of the final four games.
“We are in a position where we have spoken that it is all of us together. Win or lose, we are together. And there is no pointing any fingers at all with what we have done. We are all in it together,” Miller was quoted as saying by PTI ahead of the match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
He emphasized that the qualification equation is now simple for the side, while adding: “The reality is we have got four games to win. So if we do that, then we are putting ourselves in a good position.”
Regarding Delhi’s recent losses, Miller believed that while the squad hasn’t played bad cricket generally, they have faltered in key situations.
“I do not think we have been playing bad cricket at all. We have been playing really good cricket, but there are just moments in the game where we have kind of let ourselves down as a team in certain areas.”
Miller said that his own lackluster season and little opportunities in the starting lineup have been disappointing, but he also acknowledged that he is aware of the IPL’s dynamics.
“Not being able to play, obviously it is frustrating as a player. You always want to play every game, but such is the IPL, the structure of it with only four overseas, the combinations become really important for the team,” he explained.
He identified wickets falling in bunches as a recurrent problem when analyzing the batting failures.
“The games that we have not done too well, we have lost wickets in clusters. Two, three, four wickets quite closely,” Miller observed.
To put it mildly, DC’s fielding has also been subpar.
“And then there are moments here and there where we have dropped a couple of catches that potentially could have changed the outcome of the game.”
Miller stated that current batters are pushing limits with their fearless approach from ball one, reflecting the evolving character of T20 batting.
“The mindset and mentality around batters nowadays has definitely gone to another level,” he noted.
At the same time, he emphasized how crucial it is to have faith in one’s own strategies given how quickly the game is changing.
“For someone like me, it is just about making sure that my skills and what my strengths are is to keep them really strong,” he said.
Despite his lackluster performance in previous games, Miller also praised spinner Kuldeep Yadav, calling him a true match-winner.
“With someone like Kuldeep, I have always played against him and I do not like facing him. He is a great character and for me it is important to have those kind of guys continually playing because he is a match winner,” Miller said.
Miller stated that the team is now fully focused on the final four games as they approach the tournament’s business end.
“Whatever has happened in the last ten games, we are taking the good with that. But the next four games are huge,” he signed off.
