The IPL 2026 auction turned dramatic on Tuesday, December 16, when South Africa’s veteran power hitter David Miller became the center of attraction in Abu Dhabi. Despite being released by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) after just one season, David Miller bagged a lucrative deal with Delhi Capitals in Abu Dhabi.
The franchise went all out to secure the services of David Miller for Rs 2 crore in the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi. The Proteas star entered the auction with the highest base price of ₹2 crore after LSG decided to part ways with him after the 2025 season.
David Miller sold in IPL 2026 auction
The 36-year-old was placed in the ‘Capped Batsmen’ set (BA1) along with prominent names like Australia’s Cameron Green and Steve Smith. As soon as his name came up, many franchises showed keen interest, leading to a massive bidding war for one of the best T20 finishers.
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Even though his last season didn’t make headlines, the franchise clearly looked beyond his last season’s stats and went all out to secure the services of Miller for a huge sum to add firepower to their lineup for the upcoming IPL 2026 and broke their bank.
They spent huge sums on the “Killer Miller” because of his proven ability to finish matches, his calm mentality under pressure and his vast experience in both international and IPL cricket. Well, Miller’s reputation as a reliable big game player once again worked in his favor.
David Miller’s IPL journey
David Miller, widely regarded as one of the best finishers in white-ball cricket, had a mixed 2025 campaign with LSG. The left-handed batsman was bought for Rs 7.5 crore in the 2025 mega-auction, but he could only score 153 runs in 11 innings at an average of 30.60 and a strike rate of 127.49.
Notably, the left-handed batsman made his IPL debut with Punjab Kings (PBSK) in the 2012 season and represented the franchise for eight seasons. In 2020, he joined Rajasthan Royals before joining Gujarat Titans in 2022.
After spending three seasons with Gujarat Titans, Miller played only one season for LSG. Overall, Miller has over 3,000 runs with one century and 13 fifties at an average of 35.77 and a strike rate of 138.60.
