GT vs RR IPL 2022 Qualifier 1: David Miller follows old mantra, ‘if it’s in the arc, it’s out of the park’ in last over six blitz

Gujarat Titans batter David Miller played a ballistic knock of 68 from 38 balls and captain Hardik Pandya’s 40 off 27 balls guided debutants to a win over Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022 Qualifier 1.

Gujarat Titans batter David Miller exults after win over Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022 Qualifier 1. (Photo: BCCI/IPL)

Rajasthan Royals believed they had a huge chance of reaching the IPL 2022 on Tuesday (May 24) with debutants Gujarat Titans needing 16 runs to win off the final over by Prasidh Krishna. However, Titans batter and South African veteran David Miller had other ideas as he ended the match off the first three balls – smashing all of them for sixes to fashion a seven-wicket win in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Miller played a ballistic knock of 68 from 38 balls and captain Hardik Pandya’s 40 off 27 balls guided debutants Titans to a win. GT have made it to the finals in their first foray into the tournament.

“If it's in the V, it's in the tree. If it is in the arc, it’s out of the park! I have been given a good role and given an extended run. I have good backing from the outside. For my personal game, I am enjoying my role. I have played long time but I am understanding my game better. I am trying to keep everything closer to my gameplan,” Miller said during the post-match presentation on Tuesday.

What a day ... Into the finals on the back of a great batting performance #TitansFAM, choose your PoTM for #GTvRR now: https://t.co/1Gkmbc67Fp #SeasonOfFirsts #AavaDe #GTvRR #TATAIPL pic.twitter.com/CZjftMFL6l — Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) May 24, 2022

“There’s been a lot of people going wide outside off stump, so I decided to step that side. I knew they had a certain plan. You got to control what you can. You can't think too much ahead and what will happen. You need to concentrate on your breathing, and if it’s in your area you have to do it,” he added about the sixes in the final over.

Chasing a challenging 189-run target, Gujarat Titans got off to the worst possible start losing Wriddhiman Saha for a duck off two balls of Trent Boult’s bowling, caught behind by captain and wicket-keeper Sanju Samson. Matthew Wade then joined opener Shubman Gill and the duo took GT’s total beyond the 50-run mark in 5.1 overs to notch up a 50-run partnership in just 29 balls.

The partnership carried on as both the batters batted aggressively. The 72-run partnership was broken as Gill was run out by Devdutt Padikkal and Shimron Hetmyer for 35 off 21 balls. Pacer Obed McCoy provided RR with the third breakthrough dismissing Wade for 35 off 30 balls.

Captain Hardik Pandya and David Miller joined hands and took Gujarat’s total beyond the triple-figure mark in 10.4 overs. Pandya-Miller pair notched up 50-partnership in just 32 balls. The inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals tried to break the partnership but failed to do so as GT reached the 150-run mark in 16.1 overs.

Miller went on to score his half-century off 35 balls.Pandya-Miller went on to score a 100-run partnership.

(with ANI inputs)