'They were really upset' - David Miller reveals Gujarat Titans' displeasure over his absence from team's opening fixture

The 16th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is scheduled to begin on March 31, and the season opener will see defending champions Gujarat Titans take on Chennai Super Kings at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

One of the best players of the 2022 IPL, David Miller, recently announced he would be unavailable for GT for the season opener against CSK, along with some other South African players, as they will be present for the national team’s ODI matches against the Netherlands.

Miller recently admitted that Gujarat Titans were upset with him over his decision to miss the tournament's first game in favour of national duty. South Africa will take on the Netherlands for two ODI matches as they seek direct qualification for the upcoming ODI World Cup.

It's always a big thing playing in Ahmedabad: Miller

Speaking about the GT authorities’ reaction to Miller missing the season opener of the 2023 IPL, the South African batter opined that the franchise was not at all happy with his unavailability in the first game.

"They were really upset. It's always a big thing playing in Ahmedabad, especially in an opening game against Chennai. I am a bit disappointed to be missing that, but to put on the green and gold has always been a huge privilege and honour. And we have got some work to do in those two games against the Netherlands, so I think having a strong team -- the best squad we can pick -- is definitely the way forward," Miller said in a press conference.

"I will be missing one game, so, whether I'm somewhat disappointed or not, the process has taken place; we weren't given an option in any way. Be that as it may, we've got our best squad on the park, and we've got a lot of work to do in those two games. So it will be nice to be able to focus on that," he added.