Those who have spent time with, or even briefly interacted with, David Miller often remark upon a curious contradiction. For a cricketer of his stature — South Africa’s second-highest run-scorer in T20 internationals — he carries an almost disarming humility. Almost an unmistakable desperation to evade the spotlight.For obvious reasons, the spotlight was on Miller on Sunday, 22 February, and it was as bright as it could possibly have been. He had played a match-winning 35-ball 63-run knock, courtesy of which South Africa defeated India by 76 runs in their opener Super 8 fixture at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.He has produced more prolific days in T20I cricket, yet the significance of this knock lay in a confluence of circumstances. Firstly, it came at the biggest stage in this format of the game. Secondly, it came against India, whose bowling attack have been ripping teams apart, in front of a packed Narendra Modi Stadium. Lastly, it came at a stage when it seemed that the Proteas are all but out of the contest after only 10% of the match had been played. After 4 overs, South Africa’s score was 20/3.A match-winning masterclass! David Miller was unstoppable with the bat, blending power, timing, and precision to take #TheProteas to a commanding total. A brilliant Player of the Match performance from our senior player in a crucial encounter. #Unbreakable… pic.twitter.com/QqapxvOC80— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) February 22, 2026T20 World Cup: Mocked as ‘Chokers,’ South Africa Chokeslam India in 76-Run Win'I Feel Really Confident'This was not the first occasion of Miller bailing his team out in a T20I fixture in India. At Delhi in 2022, for instance, he scored a 31-ball 64 to help his team chase a target of 212 runs. In fact, among all the Test playing countries, Miller’s highest T20I average and strike rate is both in India — 53.55 and 174.00 respectively.When The Quint informed him about the statistic in the post-match press conference following South Africa’s triumph, Miller, characteristically, deflected attention toward a technical detail: his ten not-outs in T20Is played in India.David MillerIn India, I've had a lot of not outs. So, always people give me trouble, give me stick about all my not outs, but I think it's about giving myself a chance to get into the game, assess the conditions really well and then go from there. I'm fortunate that it's worked out in the last couple of games. And I feel really confident in my role. I've been playing that role for a long time. So, it's just making sure that I'm in the best possible space and just playing to my strengths.A match-winning masterclass! David Miller was unstoppable with the bat, blending power, timing, and precision to take #TheProteas to a commanding total. A brilliant Player of the Match performance from our senior player in a crucial encounter. #Unbreakable… pic.twitter.com/QqapxvOC80— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) February 22, 2026Meet Jaspreet Singh: From Driving Uber to Playing for Italy at the T20 World CupThe Pressure of Being a RescuerNot outs, however, does not explain either his strike, or the sheer number of occasions where he has proven to be the rescuer-in-chief for his time. On being asked about whether he keeps count of the times he has pulled South Africa out of a precarious position, he attributed it to his batting position in the middle-order.David MillerNo. Batting in the middle order really does allow for opportunities when the team is down. You don't often get a huge opportunity to bat for long periods of time. Obviously, we don't want to be in trouble, but I do find the positive out of it and it allows me to make a play. Yeah, so it's really cool to be able to put in a performance like that. But like I said, it takes a team effort. The guys bowled phenomenally well tonight. And then Stubbo coming in at the back end there and scoring a quick 40, which was massive in the context of things.But, what about pressure? With the score reading 20/3, and with his batting partner being an inexperienced 22-year-old in Dewald Brevis, Miller must have felt the nerves. Yet, he seldom lets pressure affect his game.Revealing his modus operandi to ensure the same, he said:David MillerI think it has taken a bit of time. I've been playing the game for a while now and it's about making sure that I really do stick to (basics). When there's high-pressure moments in front of a big audience like tonight, It's about making sure that you really stick to the simple things and the basics and do that really well. Like I said, my intent always has to be up, making sure that I have limited movements, when the ball is bowled, so I'm nice and still, my breathing, running hard, all those simple things that people kind of — its cliche — but it really does, in the heat of battle, those are the things that I clutch to, so. And then, this game is a game of risks and you are going to fail as a cricketer so it's about making sure that you playing to your terms.T20 World Cup Exclusive: Roelof Van Der Merwe Is His Name, Longevity Is His GamePlans Against Varun ChakravarthyAmong the many bowlers he tormented in last night’s game, Varun Chakrvarthy is the most prominent name, for he is the number 1 ranked T20I bowler in the world. The leg-spinner conceded 47 runs today, and all of the four matches wherein he conceded over 40 runs in T20Is were against South Africa.Sharing insight into his team’s, and his plans on tackling Chakravarthy, who otherwise has had a spotless T20 World Cup campaign so far, Miller said:David MillerHe is a world-class bowler and he has had huge success in all different formats that he's played, all different leagues and, yeah, especially international. So I think for us it was just about really making sure that we were on it, in terms of if he bowls a bad ball, we got to put it away — so a little bit more intent. And it wasn't spinning too much tonight, so you can kind of trust the line. And once we felt that, then we felt, okay, we've got to take him down, because he is a threat to every team that he does play against. So it was definitely something that we did speak about.Miller was asked about his takeaway from the game. Quite simply, he said: That they are beatable.And on this evidence, if one seeks a blueprint for how to do it, there may be no better place to begin than by studying the ever-so-humble David Miller.