Stuart Broad's Injury Led to My IPL Journey Beginning at KXIP: David Miller

When South African David Miller joined the IPL with the Kings XI Punjab franchise, there were high expectations from the swashbuckling batsman.

The left-hander has had mixed fortunes for KXIP featuring in 79 matches amassing 1850 runs at an average of 34.26 and a strike-rate of 138.78, though it was a couple of poor seasons that led to them parting ways.

Miller joining the IPL was a stroke of luck for him as injuries to multiple players in the set-up just before the tournament meant KXIP had to reach out to him.

Speaking to Zimbabwean commentator Pommie Mbangwa on an Instagram live, Miller recalled the phone call less than two weeks before the start of the IPL in 2011. His debut unfortunately would come only a year later.

“The first year, I went into the auction and I did not get picked up, literally 10 days before the IPL, I got a call from Kings XI Punjab and they said we are selecting you and you need to come over as soon as possible, there was an injury to Stuart Broad so I packed my bags and I went to India.

“That’s where it all started, it was an incredible journey, firstly it was a just a one year deal, but then they retained me for the next two years at my base price. The first three years of mine at IPL were incredible,” Miller said.

It was like a dream come true for Miller to get a chance to share a dressing room with Gilchrist having grown up watching him play.

“Adam Gilchrist was the captain at that time, growing up I always looked up to him and Matthew Hayden, I watched Australia play at 3 am in the morning, Gilchrist was captaining me, we had a lot of greats in our side, so it was a dream for me.

“In my first year, I did not get a single game at the IPL halfway through my second year, I got three games and then in my third year, Adam Gilchrist was retiring, he actually pulled his both hamstrings, I then got a game and that’s when I played my 101 run knock against RCB,” the 30-year-old further said.