South Africa’s veteran sends chilling message to India before T20 series

South African veteran David Miller, speaking to reporters at a press conference ahead of the T20I series against India, expressed his excitement at returning to the Proteas squad for the first time since the ICC Champions Trophy. Miller praised the team’s depth as they gear up for the T20 World Cup 2026 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027. The five-match T20I series begins on Tuesday in Cuttack. South Africa come off a 2-1 ODI series loss to India following a 0-2 Test series defeat. Both sides feature a mix of experience and youth, making them strong contenders for a potential T20 World Cup final clash.

Miller’s last major white-ball outing was during the 2024 T20 World Cup final in Barbados, where he fell to a stunning catch by Suryakumar Yadav—one of the biggest breakthroughs of Hardik Pandya’s career given the match situation. Since then, Miller has played only 10 white-ball matches out of 54 for South Africa, including a century against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy semifinal in March. The Proteas have undergone significant changes since that time, including a new white-ball coach, ICC World Test Championship success, and exciting cricket on tours to Zimbabwe, Australia, and India. Meanwhile, Miller missed the Australia series to play in The Hundred and then suffered a long-term hamstring injury. At the press conference, Miller said it felt “great to be back” and described his time away as an opportunity to train differently, regain fitness, and recharge mentally.

“It has been an interesting couple of months. I moved into a different space by trying out new things with my body and exploring different training regimes. I’m feeling strong, fit, and ready to go,” he said. Looking ahead, Miller stressed the importance of a collective effort to finally claim a major white-ball title. “Winning a World Cup takes a team effort—players and management alike—and standing up in the key moments. There is no single recipe, but confidence builds as you go. We have a large pool of players putting their hands up, and the selectors have a tough job, but we are in a really good space,” he concluded.