'Raring to go': David Miller returns to SA's T20I setup
What's the story
South Africa's cricketing calendar is about to enter an exciting phase, with a three-month-long T20 extravaganza. The leg will start with five matches against India, followed by a month-long SA20 tournament. South Africa will play three more T20Is against West Indies before heading into the highly anticipated T20 World Cup. David Miller, who was heartbroken after South Africa's loss in the 2024 final to India, is back in the setup for this campaign.
Reflection
Great to be back: Miller
Miller was given special permission to skip the Australia series for The Hundred. However, he later suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out for months. After recovering from the same, Miller is now eager to help South Africa in the impending T20I leg. "It's just great to be back," he said from Cuttack ahead of the series against India starting Tuesday. "I'm feeling strong. I'm feeling fit and I'm feeling ready to go."
Comeback
Miller returns with his experience
Miller's international outings for South Africa have reduced as he has played only 10 white-ball games out of 54 since the 2024 T20 World Cup, according to ESPNcricinfo. He last featured for the Proteas in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy semi-final, where he scored a century in a losing cause. Notably, Miller is currently SA's second-highest run-scorer in T20Is, behind Quinton de Kock (2,615). He owns 2,550 runs from 127 T20Is at a strike rate of 141.19.
Strategy
Thoughts on next World Cup
Miller hinted that the prospect of another World Cup title is what keeps him going. He said, "It takes a team effort, it takes a group effort, management and players included. And it's about standing up when the moments matter." "I'm 36 now and feeling that I do have to step up. I'm being a lot more diligent and consistent in training, and being as fit as I can is something that I'm going to focus on a lot."
Information
SA squad for India T20I series
South Africa squad: Aiden Markram (captain), Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Marco Jansen, Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Donovan Ferreira (wicket-keeper), Tristan Stubbs, Ottneil Baartman, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Lungi Ngidi, and Anrich Nortje.