“It’s Just Bonkers,” R Ashwin Lashes Out at David Miller for Denying Crucial Single in Penultimate Ball Against GT

While R Ashwin and others criticized David Miller’s 'brain-fade', Sunil Gavaskar defended the South African, choosing to praise his intent.

“It’s Just Bonkers,” R Ashwin Lashes Out at David Miller for Denying Crucial Single in Penultimate Ball Against GT

R Ashwin criticized David Miller for his poor decision-making in DC's one-run defeat to GT. (via News 18)

In Short
  • R Ashwin criticized David Miller for not taking a crucial single in the final overs of the match.
  • Delhi Capitals lost to Gujarat Titans by just one run, marking their first defeat of the IPL 2026 season.
  • Rashid Khan was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance, taking 3 wickets for 17 runs.

Former Indian spinner R Ashwin lashed out at veteran batter David Miller after the latter’s glaring error in judgment saw Delhi Capitals suffer their first defeat of the 2026 IPL season against the Gujarat Titans. Ashwin did not hold back, since GT won the game just by a run.  

Fans at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium were treated to a spectacle, as the clash between GT and DC went down to the wire. Shubman Gill’s 70 off 45, and fifties from Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar helped GT to a massive first innings total of 210/4. It, however, seemed like an easy target for the home side after they got off to a good start with a 76-run opening stand between Pathum Nissanka and KL Rahul. 

Nissanka’s dismissal, however, triggered a collapse, with Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel, and Tristan Stubbs dismissed for single-digit scores. KL Rahul, however, held on, scoring a remarkable 92 runs off 52 balls.

He, however, could not take his team over the line, losing his wicket to Mohammed Siraj in the 17th over. The pressure then shifted to David Miller, who had already left the field earlier in the innings due to a finger injury.

With 36 required off the last two overs, he hit two sixes and a four off Siraj’s 19th, to reduce the equation to 13 off 6. Miller looked destined to finish the job. However, the 36-year-old chose not to take a single on the penultimate ball, a run that would have leveled the scores, keeping Kuldeep Yadav away from the strike. Despite his confidence, Miller missed Prasidh Krishna‘s last ball. While they attempted a bye run, Yadav was run out by Jos Buttler, falling short of the crease, which resulted in GT winning by a run.

Criticism swiftly followed, with R Ashwin describing David Miller‘s decision as ‘bonkers’. He noted that the probability of hitting a boundary on the final ball was low, while adding that a run off the penultimate ball could have at least allowed DC a shot at winning in a Super Over. While Ashwin acknowledged that mistakes are a human element of the sport, he added that the defeat might impact DC’s confidence. 

I am thinking what could have happened to Kuldeep [Yadav] and [David] Miller… It is just beyond me. It is bonkers. Because if you want 4 runs or 6 runs, it was right. You need 2 runs. And what are the odds?

The veteran South African batter’s refusal to take a single was an example of batters being overcome by overconfidence. Meanwhile, spinner Rashid Khan was named POTM after he returned with figures of 3/17 in his four-over spell.

R Ashwin names his IPL 2026 Orange Cap favorite: An RR star who isn’t Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Rajasthan Royals have enjoyed a superb start to their 2026 IPL campaign, winning all three of their opening games of the season so far. It led former RR spinner-turned-YouTuber R Ashwin to share his pick for the Orange Cap, which he predicted might go to Yashasvi Jaiswal. 

R Ashwin Orange Cap
R Ashwin predicted Yashavi Jaiswal to win the IPL 2026 Orange Cap. (via Reddit)

Ashwin’s endorsement for Jaiswal comes after the 24-year-old scored a remarkable 77 runs off just 32 balls, powering RR to a 27-run win over MI in Guwahati. So far, the southpaw has scored 170 runs in three matches in IPL 2026, at a strike rate of over 163. His aggressive approach at the top of the order for his team has also instilled confidence that the Men in Pink might make it to the play-offs.

Ashwin, interestingly, did not choose Jasiwal’s opening partner, 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has scored 122 runs in three matches this season, at a strike-rate of 248.98. R Ashwin, instead, picked Shubman Gill as the second favorite to win the IPL 2026 Orange Cap, but noted that he missed the Gujarat Titans’ match against RR, as a result of which he might finish second. 

Yashasvi Jaiswal is a strong contender to win the Orange Cap with a good strike rate this time… I will also put Shubman Gill in the same line, but he has obviously missed one game, so Jaiswal has a slightly better chance.

The Orange Cap race is heating up, with DC’s Sameer Rizvi, SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen, and MI’s Rohit Sharma also among the top run-getters. In 2025, the accolade was secured by GT opener Sai Sudharsan, who finished with 759 runs in 15 matches at an average of 54.21. 

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