David Miller has suddenly become the talking point after a moment many have labelled a brainfade, though it could just as easily have been a calculated call given how well he was striking the ball against the Gujarat Titans. The left-hander looked in complete control, taking on his former side with clean hitting, but the final two deliveries flipped the narrative entirely and ended in a stunning anticlimax.
With two needed off two, Miller turned down a single, pushing the contest into a tense last-ball finish. He was then undone by a clever slower bouncer and had to scramble for a bye to level scores. However, Kuldeep Yadav was caught short of his ground as Jos Buttler fired in a sharp throw, sealing a heartbreaking one-run defeat for the Delhi Capitals.
Harbhajan Singh tore into Miller over his call in the closing moments, questioning why he turned down a straightforward single in a bid to finish the game in style. The former India spinner reckoned that decision proved costly, flipping the match on its head and handing the advantage to the Gujarat Titans when the Delhi Capitals were within touching distance of victory. He even took a cheeky dig, saying that for a brief moment, Miller made it seem like he was still playing for his former side.
“He (David Miller) tried to play the hero and said no, I’ll hit two runs on the last ball. What happened after that? The last ball ended up being a dot ball, Kuldeep got run out, and the match they were set to win was lost. Gujarat Titans said, thank you very much, David Miller, because what you did made it feel like you are still part of GT,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
Miller was a key figure for the Gujarat Titans from 2022 to 2024, playing a crucial role in their title-winning debut season. He then moved to the Lucknow Super Giants the following year before being picked up by the Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2026.
Also Read – Why David Miller’s no-single call to Kuldeep Yadav was the right move despite the outcome – Explained
Continuing his sharp assessment, Harbhajan also pointed to a lack of trust in the partnership, suggesting Miller misjudged the situation by not backing Kuldeep in a crunch moment. He felt a simple single could have kept Delhi Capitals in control and opened up more possibilities, including a Super Over, rather than shutting the door on themselves.
“He’s (Kuldeep Yadav) not so inexperienced in batting that he can’t handle it. He can connect with the ball reasonably well. David Miller just needed to trust his partner a little. I think if they had taken a run on the fifth ball, then on the sixth ball, even if Kuldeep got out, there would still have been a chance. The Capitals had a chance. If it went to a Super Over, they would have gotten another opportunity. But they didn’t give themselves any chance,” he added.
“Rarely seen David Miller finish matches”
The veteran spinner signed off with a scathing verdict on Miller, questioning both his decision-making under pressure and his track record in finishing games. While acknowledging Miller’s ability, Harbhajan drew a clear line between being a strong player and a great one, insisting that the latter seize such moments and close matches out, something he believes slipped away this time, costing the Delhi Capitals dearly.
“From my understanding, it’s beyond me how this is even possible. What could have been going through his mind? It’s not that Kuldeep doesn’t know how to bat. But when pressure situations come, I’ve seen David Miller, and maybe it’s just his luck. He’s an excellent player, a very strong player. But I think the difference between a strong player and a great player is this: a great player finishes the match. And we’ve rarely seen David Miller finish matches. When we did see him do it, he helped Gujarat Titans win title. But today he was very sad because he knew a mistake had been made. That mistake cost them two points,” he said.