As Tim David plastered monstrous sixes off possibly one of the best death bowlers in the county, the entire Wankhede crowd suddenly noticed that they had a gem on their hands. The 26-year-old smashed T Natarajan for four huge sixes in an over and took Mumbai Indians (MI) to the brink of a great win.
Although, his run-out was a great metaphor for what could have been as far as MI is involved. Despite snapping him up for a whopping INR 8.25 crore in the TATA IPL 2022 mega auction, Mumbai benched Tim David after just two matches.
Alarmingly, the 5-time IPL champions even went into some of their league games with just 2-3 foreign performers but refrained from using David’s ability. It wasn’t until they lost eight matches in a row that they understood they had to bring the big-hitter in and give him ample game time.
Tim David was a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) setup for the IPL 2021 season but faced just 3-deliveries and was released. Perhaps not many accomplished what kind of ability he had, and he showed it in other T20 leagues worldwide.
This season, the 26-year-old performed 11 games in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), securing 278 runs at a mind-boggling strike rate of 194.4. While Mumbai fans were in shock for the period that David was out of the team, they ultimately got to see their star hammer some huge sixes in the tournament.
186 runs @ 216.3 strike rate this season. Tim David warra finisher in making.
— R A T N I S H (@LoyalSachinFan) May 22, 2022
Tim David revealed to MI what they were missing.
Interestingly, Tim David’s entry point in MI around coincided with what has possibly been the legendary all-rounder Kieron Pollard’s worst IPL period. He secured 144 runs in 11 matches, which proved to be honestly costly for MI as they couldn’t get the needed finish to their innings, mainly when they were coasting in run chases.
But Tim David exactly sees what he can do in similar conditions by almost single-handedly winning them the match against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). The 26-year-old smashed 46(18) and proved that he belonged to possibly the best T20 league globally.
Not just against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), but David performed a crucial role in all of MI’s wins this season, and appropriately so. His cameo against the RR broke the chase open when MI was in a tricky condition. Primarily that 97m six against Yuzvendra Chahal put all his doubters to a bed, who said he couldn’t perform spin well.
MI’s victory against Gujarat Titans was recalled for the terrific final over by Daniel Sams, where he conceded just 3-runs. But that was possibly the match where the baton was literally passed to David from Pollard.
While Pollard walked back after an unsatisfying knock, Tim David appeared all guns blazing. His good knock of 44 supports MI posting a competitive total on the board.
David possibly saved his best for the last as his crucial 34(11) once again took MI out of a tricky condition. Pollard didn’t perform the final three matches of the season for Mumbai, but David showed his pedigree in each of them.
Kieron Pollard and Tim David after the match. pic.twitter.com/Fipou8Z8o6
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) May 17, 2022
The importance of reckoning will soon come for the 5-time IPL champions when they sit in the off-season and try to have a sincere conversation with the MI legend. Pollard possibly no longer instills the same kind of fear in bowlers that Tim David has achieved this season, and that could potentially be a huge sign for MI’s future.
With Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, and Daniel Sams possibly retained, it will be fascinating to see whether MI holds on to Pollard. However, another thing for certain is that Mumbai has found a new cult hero in David.