IPL 2026: Sunil Gavaskar backs Delhi Capitals' David Miller despite refusing crucial single against Gujarat Titans
David Miller avoided taking a single in the fifth ball of the final over of Delhi Capitals' run chase against Gujarat Titans.
Delhi Capitals (DC) batter David Miller endured a forgettable night on Wednesday during his team's IPL 2026 match against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Delhi. DC, chasing 211, needed two runs to win from two balls, and Miller got a chance to take a single off the fifth ball of Prasidh Krishna's over.
However, he did not take the single as he wanted to remain on strike for the final delivery. Prasidh bowled a slower ball to Miller in the last minute, and both David Miller and Kuldeep Yadav set off for a quick single that would have taken the match to a Super Over.
However, Kuldeep fell short of safety at the strikers' end as he was run out by Jos Buttler, with GT thus sealing a one-run win.
Sunil Gavaskar on David Miller not taking a single
Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar, however, does not believe it was Miller's fault. Miller played aggressively, slamming 41 runs from 19 balls, and this is exactly why Gavaskar is not miffed with the South African not taking a single.
“Yes, he was backing himself to hit the winning runs, but having seen the way Kuldeep Yadav nudged that ball for a single off the first ball, maybe he should have given Kuldeep the strike,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.
“This is all being wise after the event, but the fact remains that the way he had been hitting in the previous over and this over as well, he believed he could do it. So you can’t fault him for that.
The delivery from Prasidh Krishna was superb," he added. Former England captain Kevin Pietersen opined that Miller might have felt that it would be a risk had he taken the single and given the strike to Kuldeep.
“I think he felt that from the last delivery, he would at least get one. And if not one, he could clear the boundary because he’s that good. So that’s where his mind would have been — does he want to risk Kuldeep?," he said.
“Yes, they could have tied the game and forced a Super Over, but he believed he wouldn’t miss that final ball. That’s where he was at," added Pietersen.
The win was Gujarat Titans’ first win of the IPL 2026 season, whereas Delhi Capitals suffered their first defeat. Delhi Capitals remain in fourth place with four points from three matches, whereas Gujarat Titans are in sixth place with two points from three matches.