David Miller extremely upbeat after being retained by KXIP

After retaining just one player in Axar Patel prior to the auction, KXIP was adamant to put together a core set of team and start afresh in the new decade of IPL. Although the franchise may not have won the IPL till now, the entertainment and thrill they have provided to their fans is certainly unbeatable For once, the flamboyance of Glenn Maxwell and David Miller took them to the finals of 2014 edition, but there have been times when they have been handed the wooden spoon as well.

However, David Miller looked like going unsold in the IPL 2018 auction before he was picked up by Mumbai Indians for $581k. But Punjab restored their faith in the Proteas batsman after using a Right To Match card to retain Miller. The prolific run-scorer has been an integral part of the KXIP team in the past and even led the team in the 2016 edition.

With the likes of KL Rahul, Karun Nair, Yuvraj Singh and Finch in their ranks, Miller joins an explosive line-up of batsmen and it will be interesting to see what kind of impact Finch makes for his latest IPL franchise.

Upon retention, the 28-year-old took to Twitter to extend the courtesy to his franchise. He wrote, “Thank you @lionsdenkxip For giving me another opportunity at the IPL. Look forward to a great year ahead with a new squad. #IPL2018 #LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi

You can see the Tweet below

Miller keen to restore past fortunes

The big-hitting left-hander is currently one of the most ferocious strikers of the cricket ball, which is evident from the fact that he holds the record for the 3rd fastest century in the history of the tournament scoring 101* off just 38 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Nonetheless, the form guide for a player of Miller’s caliber has been disappointing ever since. But Miller has been in scintillating form as of late and will be keen to restore his past fortunes.

His IPL stats look impressive too, as he has scored 1563 runs at an average of 35.52 with 8 half-centuries and a century to his name.

Here’s the full KXIP squad