Delhi Capitals (DC) batter David Miller will eventually move on from this disappointment, but for now, his decision in the final moments of the match against Gujarat Titans (GT) is bound to stay in focus. His call not to take a single in the last over ended up costing his team a narrow one-run defeat in their Indian Premier League 2026 clash.
How David Miller's refusal for a single costed match to DC
With DC needing two runs from the final two balls and tailender Kuldeep Yadav at the other end, Miller, who was batting well on 41, chose to keep the strike instead of taking a single off the second-last delivery bowled by Prasidh Krishna. A single at that point would have at least tied the scores and taken the match into a Super Over.
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However, things didn’t go his way. Miller missed the final ball and then tried to steal a run. Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler reacted quickly and hit the stumps with an underarm throw, catching Kuldeep short at the striker’s end. DC finished on 209/8 while chasing 211.
Sunil Gavaskar on David Miller's decision
The big question after the match was whether Miller made the right decision.
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Batting great Sunil Gavaskar believes Miller should not be criticised too much. He explained that Miller was in good touch and trusted himself to finish the game.
“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 Star Sports. “He should have given the strike. This is all being wise after the event, but the fact remains that the way he had been hitting the previous over and that over as well, he believed that he could do it, simple as that. So you can’t fault him for that. He had the confidence that he could do it, but it didn’t come off because the ball that Prasidh Krishna bowled was an absolutely superb delivery."
DC vs GT match report
Gujarat Titans edged past Delhi Capitals by just one run in a thrilling Indian Premier League match on Wednesday, even though KL Rahul played a superb knock of 92 from 52 balls.
DC needed only two runs from the last two balls while chasing 211, but the match slipped away dramatically. David Miller decided not to take a single on the second-last ball bowled by Prasidh Krishna. On the final delivery, he missed his shot and went for a run, but Kuldeep Yadav was run out after a sharp direct hit from Jos Buttler.
Earlier, GT put up a strong total of 210/4 after being asked to bat. Captain Shubman Gill led the way with a confident 70 off 45 balls, hitting boundaries and sixes with ease. Buttler added a quick 52 from 27 balls, while Washington Sundar played an attacking innings of 55 from 32 balls.
For DC, Mukesh Kumar took two wickets, while Lungi Ngidi kept things tight with his spell.
In reply, DC got off to a strong start. Rahul and Pathum Nissanka added 76 runs for the opening wicket in just over eight overs, setting a good base for the chase.
However, the middle order couldn’t build on that start, as wickets kept falling at regular intervals. Miller’s late unbeaten 41 off just 20 balls kept DC in the game till the very end, but it wasn’t enough.For GT, Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers, getting three wickets