South African batsman David Miller
Images by Ashley Vlotman/Gallo
- Paarl Royals captain David Miller thinks Tuesday’s SA20 opener against MI Cape Town will be a blast in a sold-out Newlands.
- The inaugural SA20 kicks off on Tuesday with Miller set to lead the Paarl Royals in the Cape Derby.
- Miller hopes to draw on the star-studded experience in the Royals’ dressing room as they vie to replicate the Rajasthan Royals’ maiden IPL win.
Proteas star batsman David Miller is hoping Tuesday’s SA20 opener between MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals at Newlands will be a “swing”.
The inaugural SA20 kicks off in a sold-out Newlands on Tuesday as MI Cape Town take on Paarl Royals in a Western Cape derby.
The first season will feature 33 matches as six co-owned Indian Premier League (IPL) teams will compete for R70 million in prize money, with the final going to the Wanderers on February 11.
Award-winning artists Master KG and Sho Madjozi will headline Tuesday’s SA20 opening with a mini concert that will take place before the first ball is thrown.
“It’s going to be amazing. There’s going to be a lot of excitement around the players, it’s been building for a long time,” Miller told reporters Monday at the captain’s pre-press conference.
“I think everyone is very interested in getting out in the park and expressing their skills and what they have to offer to the people of Capeton.”
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The Paarl Royals have an experienced team led by former Proteas all-rounder JP Duminy.
Miller will share the dressing room with England’s World Cup-winning captain Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, a feat he calls a “privilege”.
Miller, who has managed the Punjab Kings several times in the IPL, says he hopes to lean on the English duo for captaincy tips.
“We are privileged to have both captains (Morgan and Buttler) there and the experience they have is invaluable to our teams,” Miller said.
“I haven’t captained too many games in my career, but I always want to learn and try to improve my game and that too with the captaincy.
“To have those guys by my side, it would be foolish not to use all their experience, so I’m looking forward to it.
“(The captaincy) grows on you and builds a lot of character in one’s game and I look forward to the challenge. Having guys like that make a huge difference and they already contributed a huge amount in the run up to tomorrow’s game. [I’m] very glad to have them [here].”
The Rajasthan Royals, under the late Shane Warne, won the inaugural IPL title in 2008.
When asked about the importance of representing an IPL-winning team, Miller hopes he can recreate the same magic for the Paarl Royals.
“Yes, it was mentioned. When you win a trophy, they don’t actually forget about it too quickly,” joked Miller, who helped the Gujarat Titans win the IPL title last year.
“But there’s no pressure to be honest with you. I mean, at this stage there are always expectations on the players and the team, so it’s nothing more than we haven’t experienced before.”
“It’s all about how you deal with it and your thought process and how you’re going to do it. So I’m very excited for tomorrow and hopefully take another trophy this season.”
“But there are a lot of steps that need to be taken beforehand, just sticking to the process, having as much fun as we can. You know, checking as many boxes as we can, and hopefully that leads to winning the trophy.”
The game starts at 17:30 in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Paarl Royals Squad:
David Miller, Jos Buttler, Obed McCoy, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Jason Roy, Dane Vilas, Bjorn Fortuin, Mitchell van Buuren, Wihan Lubbe, Ferisco Adams, Imraan Manack, Evan Jones, Ramon Simmonds, Eoin Morgan, Codi yusuf
