During the 2024 T20 World Cup, David Miller was in the heart of the people as South Africa came the closest to winning a major trophy in the history of men’s cricket. In the tournament final in Barbados, Miller was at the non-striker’s end when Heinrich Klaasen pulled the Proteas within 30 runs of victory with 30 balls left in their chase against India. Nevertheless, Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, and Hardik Pandya devastated South Africa by masterminding an incredible victory for themselves.
David miller is not retired in t20 #DavidMiller pic.twitter.com/4gKGLdrNFm
— Yogesh Bhati (@NaiYogesh22008) July 2, 2024
The Rumor De-Bunked
Among the players in tears, Miller who the next day posted an emotional message on his Instagram story, raising questions about whether he had declared his retirement from Twenty20 internationals. But Miller has already made it plain that the “best is yet to come” and that he is always up for selection.
“Against rumors, I have not given up playing T20 international cricket. I’ll be accessible for the Proteas going forward. The greatest is still to come, Miller posted on Instagram.
A bitter medicine for South Africa to swallow
Pandya bowled the last over, which had Miller on strike from the first ball. South Africa needed to score 16 runs in that over to win the T20 World Cup. Suryakumar Yadav made a spectacular catch after appearing to have hit Pandya for a six with the opening delivery. Yadav leaped back in, collected the ball, and flung it into the air before his momentum carried him over the boundary line. In that over, Pandya gave up eight runs and claimed one more wicket.
“I’m devastated! Very difficult pill to swallow in light of what happened two days ago. There are no words to express how I feel. I am confident of one thing: I am proud of this unit. There were highs and lows during the whole month of an amazing experience. In his recent Instagram story, Miller stated, “We have suffered, but I know this team has the resilience and will to keep raising the bar.”
A Tough Loss for South Africa
Despite fielding some of the best teams in the world over the last three decades, South Africa has famously been unable to advance past the semi-finals of major tournaments. This was the closest the side had come to winning a major trophy since their readmission to international cricket in 1991. Miller was in the South African team that was eliminated from the 2015 World Cup after a fierce semifinal match. Miller scored 169 runs at an average of 28.16, a half-century, and a strike rate of 102.42 in nine games at the 2024 T20 World Cup. His highest score was 59*.