The Rajasthan Royals pulled off an unbelievable heist of a victory today, as a solid 62 from David Miller and a bruising unbeaten 36 from none other than the most expensive buy in this year’s auction – allrounder Chris Morris.

At 42/5, it seemed like Delhi were in box seat, as the two danger men Jos Buttler and skipper Sanju Samson were dismissed early, but Miller brought his wealth of experience to the table, playing low-risk cricket and finding the boundary periodically.

He didn’t open up until Avesh Khan bowled his fourth over. After hitting consecutive sixes, Miller fell for a respectable 62 from 43, but more importantly, he ensured that the door was more than ajar for the Royals to claw back into the game.

Morris was at 7 from 8 until fellow Proteas star Kagiso Rabada got to bowl the penultimate over. He took on the pace ace, hitting two colossal sixes, setting up 12 to get from the last over.

Another two towering maximums in the final over sealed the deal for the Rajasthan Royals. Much was expected from him, and in just the second game he played, he delivered to devastating effect. And now there’s more and more buzz as to whether he will be part of the Proteas’ T20WC plans.

As for David Miller, it initially seemed unlikely that he’d get game time but the injuries to the English duo of Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer created the opening. Furthermore, he’s highlighted his importance as both the crucial middle-order glue as well as the enforcer when required.

The Proteas watch continues tomorrow, with Faf du Plessis starting for the Chennai Super Kings, who will play the Punjab Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.

Photo: IPL Website