Cricket fans across the board have expressed sympathy for Delhi Capitals batter David Miller after a last-over call that ultimately swung their IPL 2026 game against the Gujarat Titans. Ravichandran Ashwin, however, was the most visibly bewildered by the moment—stunned by Miller’s choice to refuse a score-levelling single for Kuldeep Yadav on the penultimate delivery. With Delhi falling short by just 1 run, Ashwin said the decision simply did not add up, arguing that taking the run would have kept options alive in a situation where only two runs were required from the final two balls.
Ashwin questions Miller’s “no-single” call
- Ashwin said he cannot make sense of what Miller was thinking when the partnership needed to chase down the target with two balls remaining.
- He explained that a strike-retention plan would be understandable only if Delhi required four or six runs from the last two deliveries.
- With the equation standing at two runs needed off two balls, Ashwin argued there was “no logic” in denying Kuldeep the chance to take the single and stay in the contest.
- In Ashwin’s view, Kuldeep would have been the one pressing for the other end, and he suggested that Miller should have been forced into taking the run if Ashwin were in Kuldeep’s position.
- Ashwin also pointed out the upside of taking one: even if Kuldeep did not survive long, Delhi would still have had a pathway to the Super Over—an outcome that, in his words, should represent a strong effort in a match where the margin was so fine.
Speaking in a video posted on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said the sequence is something he still cannot mentally process: “I am thinking what could have happened to Kuldeep and David Miller. If I was Kuldeep, I would have pushed him to the other end. I can’t understand. I can’t fathom it. It is just beyond me. It’s bonkers.” He added that if Delhi required four or six, Miller’s approach might have been defensible, but with two needed off the last two balls, the refusal of the single left him puzzled.
Ashwin elaborated on the practical options available in that situation. “Because if you want 4 runs or 6 runs, it was right. You need 2 runs. And what are the odds? You can take 1 run. Kuldeep will at least get into the bat. Or if he doesn’t, you can run away. Even if Kuldeep gets bowled, in a 210 game, if you reach the Super Over, you have done well. I am not able to wrap my head around it,” he said.
While Ashwin acknowledged that mistakes can happen to anyone, he stressed that the difficulty for him lies in understanding the thought process behind the decision itself. “Mistakes can happen with anyone. Everybody can make a mistake. No doubt about it. I am sure David Miller is feeling absolutely gutted at this point of time. But I am not able to wrap my head around the thinking. What was the thinking? I don’t know, man,” Ashwin remarked.
He also reflected on the broader tournament context, suggesting that Delhi—despite being regarded as a strong side—could yet end up hurting themselves in tight moments. “Delhi has such a strong team. We talked about it. But still, I told you that Delhi might find a way to kick themselves out of the tournament. If you lose like this, you are doing two things,” Ashwin said.
How Ashwin says the call could have helped Gujarat
- Ashwin felt the moment shook Delhi’s confidence, particularly because the match was lost by such a narrow margin.
- He argued it could also serve as a psychological lift for Gujarat Titans, giving them momentum to fight their way back from the setback.
- Ashwin suggested that when a team like Gujarat loses narrowly, it can come back stronger—already thinking about how to recover from there.
- In his view, Delhi effectively handed Gujarat a “lifeline” while Delhi were still stuck on four points, leaving the season in a more complicated position than it needed to be.
Ashwin further insisted that the decision had consequences beyond the immediate ball. He said Miller’s call not only unsettled Delhi, but also provided Gujarat with a morale boost that could matter for the remainder of their campaign. “One, you have shaken the confidence of your team. And second, if a team like Gujarat Titans lost today, they will come back from the tournament thinking how they will reach from here,” he asserted.
He added: “There will be a catch-22. But you let them come back from the tournament. But you gave them a lifeline while you’re still stuck at 4 points.”
