Proteas' middle-order batter David Miller.
Image: AFP
David Miller delivered a brilliant innings under pressure to drive the Proteas to an all-important ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights victory over India in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Here is a look at five of the slugger’s greatest T20 International innings for the Proteas.
1. 101* (36 balls) vs Bangladesh - Potchefstroom, 2017
Dropped on zero, Miller made Bangladesh pay by smashing what was then the fastest century in T20I history, reaching the milestone in just 35 balls. The defining moment of the innings came in the 19th over when he launched Mohammad Saifuddin for five consecutive sixes, finishing the innings with seven fours and nine sixes overall.
2. 106* (47 balls) vs India - Guwahati, 2022
Miller played a breathtaking, unbeaten knock of 106 after the Proteas were reeling at 47/3. Chasing a mammoth target of 238, the asking rate climbed to absurd heights, but Miller kept fighting, hitting eight fours and seven sixes to register his highest-ever T20I score. He completely dominated the Indian death bowlers, but his lone-warrior century was not enough as the Proteas went down by 16 runs.
3. 63 (35 balls) vs India - Ahmedabad, 2026 (T20 World Cup)
Striding to the crease under immense pressure in front of 81,000 hostile fans, with the Proteas again in deep trouble at 20/3, Miller launched a brutal counter-attack. Partnering with young Dewald Brevis, he scored a brilliant 63, blending raw power with calculated precision to completely derail the Indian bowling attack to set up a famous Proteas win in the crucial Super 8s clash at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
4. 59* (46 balls) vs India - Perth, 2022 (T20 World Cup)
Chasing 134 on a lightning-fast, bouncy pitch in Perth, Miller once again led the fightback when the Proteas were in deep trouble at 24/3 against a fiery Indian pace attack.
Instead of relying solely on brute force, he showed incredible maturity. He absorbed the early pressure, built a crucial partnership with Aiden Markram, and then systematically dismantled the bowlers in the final overs to lead the Proteas by 5 wickets with two balls to spare.
5. 23* (13 balls) vs Sri Lanka — Sharjah, 2021 (T20 World Cup)
In a tense, low-scoring thriller, South Africa needed 15 runs off the final over to win. With the pressure mounting and wickets having fallen rapidly to Wanindu Hasaranga's hat-trick, the game hung entirely in the balance.
It was a brief cameo, but it perfectly defined the role of a finisher. Facing Lahiru Kumara in the 20th over, Miller unleashed two massive, back-to-back sixes down the ground to instantly kill the chase as the Proteas won by 4 wickets with one ball remaining.