One of the vital cogs in the middle-order, David Miller scored 77 runs in three games so far in IPL 2024 for Gujarat Titans.
Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans were dealt with a heavy blow as they are set to miss David Miller for at least a week after sustaining an injury during the training session. The South African hard-hitting batter missed the game against Punjab Kings already. During the mid-innings break, Kane Williamson, who replaced Miller against Punjab Kings, revealed that the southpaw is out for a week or two. Gujarat Titans next play Lucknow Super Giants and Rajasthan Royals on April 7 and 10.
Playing his first game this year, Williamson couldn’t make his start big as he managed just 26 off 22 balls. Speaking to the broadcasters during the innings break, the Kiwi spilled the beans on Miller. “Nice to be out there, shame to lose Davey (Miller) for a week or two,” said Williamson. Earlier, during the coin toss, captain Shubman Gill stated Miller was having a niggle
With two wins from three games, Gujarat Titans are placed fifth in the standings. However, the nature of Miller’s injury isn’t known as an official conformation is awaited from the franchise. As far as the game is concerned, Gujarat Titans rode on skipper Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 89 to steer the team to 199/4.
Gill’s knock came in 48 balls, his highest individual score this season so far, and in the process hit six fours and four sixes. B Sai Sudharsan’s 19-ball 33 and Rahul Tewatia’s 8-ball 23 also deserves credit. Sent into bat, opener Gill made a rousing start to the innings as he clobbered spinner Harpreet Brar straight over his head for the first six of the match.
Runs flowed for Gujarat Titans till the third over before Kagiso Rabada (2/44) ousted Wriddhiman Saha, latched by PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan at mid-off. Williamson looked in great touch as he hit Sam Curran and Rabada for a few boundaries to keep the scoreboard ticking.
But Williamson’s knock was cut short by Brar’s extra bounce, caught at backward point by Jonny Bairstow in the ninth over. Zimbabwe all-rounder Sikandar Raza was taken to task by Gill and new man Sudharshan as the duo picked up 14 runs off the 12th over, courtesy three hits to the fence.
Gill brought up his fifty off 31 balls with a boundary behind deep square leg in the 15th over. Gill was at his imperious best in front of the wicket as he dispatched Harshal over long-on for a maximum in the 17th over. While Gill was going all guns blazing from one end, Vijay Shankar was flat and was caught by a diving Brar at long-off off Rabada.
In his second spell, Harshal was wayward with his lengths and Tewatia made good use of it as the penultimate over yielded 20 runs. Tewatia played a blinder, including two boundaries of pacer Arshdeep Singh in the last two balls.