South Africa star David Miller has revealed that Gujarat Titans were not happy with his decision of delaying his arrival in India for the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023).
David Miller along with several other South Africa players will miss the start of the tournament in order to be available for two World Cup Super League (WCSL) matches against the Netherlands. The matches are scheduled to take place on March 31 and the Wanderers on April 2.
On the other hand, IPL 2023 is scheduled to begin on March 31. David Miller’s team Gujarat Titans will in action on the very first day of the competition as they begin their title defence against Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The upcoming series against Netherlands is a very important one for the Proteas. They will probably need to win both the games in order earn a direct qualification to this year’s 50-over World Cup, scheduled to be played in India.
Gujarat Titans upset with David Miller:
While David Miller will be desperate to ensure a passage to the World Cup for his country, he has admitted that Gujarat Titans were not happy with his decision. The star batsman, who played a key role in the franchise’s march to the title last year, said that his team were ‘really upset’ with his late arrival.
“They were really upset. It’s always a big thing playing in Ahmedabad, especially in an opening game against Chennai. I am a bit disappointed to be missing that, but to put on the green and gold has always been a huge privilege and honour.
“And we have got some work to do in those two games against the Netherlands, so I think having a strong team – the best squad we can pick – is definitely the way forward. I will be missing one game so, whether I’m somewhat disappointed or not, the process has taken place,” David Miller said during a press conference.
David Miller is not the only player from South Africa who will miss the start of the tournament. Apart from him, recently-appointed captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock and Kagiso Rabada will be unavailable for the start.
Also Read: India Will Have A Point To Prove In 2023 World Cup, Says Mohammad Hafeez