IPL 2018: Too early to judge R Ashwin as Kings XI Punjab captain, says David Miller

Bengaluru: Kings XI Punjab all-rounder David Miller on Thursday said it would be too early to talk about Ravichandran Ashwin's captaincy as the side has played just one match so far in the IPL.

"He (Ashwin) is very calculated and thinks about the game well. He is a pretty relaxed guy and lets the players do what they want to do, which is the most important thing," Miller told reporters here.

"I may not be in a position to say whether Ashwin has made any difference as bowling captain. It is too early and we have played just a game. So far, he has gone about his job pretty well by getting fielders in right places."

Asked whether he sees any change in his role in the middle order, Miller said the players have been told to play exciting cricket, but would be flexible as per situation arising in the match.

"No. Not at all. We have been told pretty early that we have to play exciting cricket and play freely. If you need ten runs in an over, you need to hit boundaries. It all depends on what situation we are in, and obviously we will try to flexible in it," he said.

Asked having three Karnataka players boost morale of the team, Miller said they help other players by giving tips and advice on various facets including pitch behaviour.

KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair are the three Karnataka players in KXIP.

Miller said the pitch looks pretty good and expects a good game tomorrow.

"The wickets are really good. I saw it at the practice session. Hopefully, it plays pretty well. The drainage looks nice. The field is in great condition. So, there should be a good game," he said.

Miller said he does not know whether Chris Gayle is playing tomorrow or not, but the team needs to gets to right combination as quickly as possible.

On the first game victory against Delhi, Miller said, "It was an outstanding performance. It seems to be a really good and balanced side going by the auction picks we did. Some good locals guys have been picked. We hope to keep the momentum going.