Why is David Miller not playing today in IND vs SA 3rd T20I?

During the IND vs SA 3rd T20I, India won the toss and decided to bowl first at the HPCA Stadium, Dharamshala. David Miller was a notable absentee from South Africa’s playing XI in the third T20I against India on 14 December 2025, despite being one of the best finishers in the world.

The Proteas went in with a lineup featuring the likes of Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis, but Miller was left out, as confirmed by the official match line-up. However, neither Cricket South Africa nor the team management provided a clear explanation for his omission, and there were no reports citing injury, illness or rest as the reason.

Why is David Miller Not Playing Today in IND vs SA 3rd T20I?

Miller had dealt with fitness issues earlier in the year and had recovered from a grade-one hamstring strain before the tour, but there was no confirmation that those concerns played a role in him missing this particular match, suggesting the decision was most likely tactical or rotation-based rather than injury-related.

David Miller replacement was Tristan Stubbs for this clash, while Corbin Bosch comes in for George Linde, and Anrich Nortje replaces Sipamla. South Africa is making a lot of changes in every T20I game, and this is mainly due to their rotation policy as they want to give game time to the entire bench in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. This strategy could prove costly to the side, as chopping and changing the side in almost every game won't let any player settle in the squad.

On the other side, India have also made a couple of forced changes as Jasprit Bumrah misses out on this game due to personal reasons, while Axar Patel has missed out due to illness concerns. Both Bumrah and Axar are among the best T20 bowlers, however, India didn't feel their absence.

India Strikes Early as The Proteas Batting Collapses

Indian bowlers produced a fiery opening spell to rip through South Africa’s batting line-up in the 3rd T20I, initiating a dramatic collapse that put the Proteas on the back foot early in the contest. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana had the new ball talking as there was swing on offer, and they took full advantage of that. Arshdeep got rid of Reeza Hendricks with an in-swinging beauty while Rana dismissed the likes of Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis.

The early wickets dented South Africa’s plans, forcing their middle order to rebuild, but that has also failed as India's all-rounders, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube, chipped in with a wicket each. Hardik dismissed Tristan Stubbs with a caught behind while Dube dismantled the stumps against Corbin Bosch with a ball nipping back in.

India’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout, ensuring that there was no easy release even after the Powerplay. As wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, South Africa struggled to stitch together partnerships. In the end, they were bowled out for just 117 in 20 overs. The Dharamshala wicket seems like a good bowling track and it will be interesting to see how India bats on this wicket.