Proteas power-hitter David Miller returns to the BPL to play for Fortune Barishal

At the age of 34, David Miller is going to get married in a few days. This South African batsman has finalised this life decision because he has become mature. Evolving in his personal life, Miller has also taken himself to the next level as a batter. But because of his type of batting which involves power-hitting, he is nicknamed 'Killer Miller'. Bangladesh pacer Mohammad Saifuddin should at least remember Miller's name well. Miller scored 31 runs from his one over in a T20I back in 2017.

Miller has changed himself a lot, and has become responsible, even though he kept his batting attitude. From 'Killer Miller', he is now one of the dependable batters in the South African team. Till the age of 30, Miller played 72 T20Is for South Africa. Scored 1,309 runs with a century and 2 half-centuries at an average of 29.75. After crossing 30, Miller scored 959 runs in 44 T20s with a century and 4 half-centuries at a batting average of 41.69.

The difference is clear, Miller's batting average has increased by almost 12 over the last four years. Apart from this, the difference will be evident if you look at his statistics in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The left-handed batter has been very consistent with the bat in the last two seasons of IPL, the batting average is also worth mentioning. Miller has seen his highest runs in an IPL season after crossing the age of 30.

Before and after 30; The difference in Miller's cricket philosophy is clear. 2016 to 2019, despite being successful at the beginning of his career; His highest average in a given IPL season was 37.00 in those four years between the ages of 26 and 30. In the remaining three seasons, he could not take his average above 30 even once. However, in the last two seasons, Miller's batting average is 68.71 and 32.38 respectively.

How did this change take place? Using the example of red wine, Miller wanted to show that this maturity comes with age. He believes that with age comes experience, which helps in making good decisions. Miller returns to the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) like "red wine'. Before this, he played in the domestic franchise T20 league in Bangladesh only once, back in 2013. Miller has come to play for Fortune Barisal after 11 years when he last played for Chittagong Kings.

Miller was a 23-year-old at that time. He played three matches for the Kings, though he didn't do very well, but his only memory in the BPL back then is etched well in his memory. That's why the Protea batter also recalled the colour of the Chittagong Kings' jersey, "I think, I played for the Chittagong Kings then. As far as I remember, their jersey was too pink. I was only here for a week and played three matches. I have good memories of Bangladesh," he said on Monday.

"I don't know if anybody drinks here, but it is said that red wine gets better with time. As you get older, you can make better decisions. You learn from the past. Like many cricketers, none of us fully understand the game. So you have to keep learning. You have to work hard and learn as much as you can," he explained on his improvement after turning 30.

During the earlier phases of the BPL, Miller played in South Africa's own fast-growing T20 franchise league, the SA20. Then there was also the preparation for his marriage. As a result, he has not seen BPL matches as he has been away from cricket for some time, but he tried to keep an eye on the scores online. "To be honest, I have not seen any cricket here. I was on a break. I am getting married soon. A lot of things have to be taken care of. But I kept an eye on Cricinfo on the phone so that I can have an idea about the points table and how they (Barisal) are doing. However, I have not seen any matches on TV," he concluded.

Fortune Barishal face Chattogram Challengers in the Eliminator on Monday at 1:30 pm local time in Mirpur.