Do Mumbai Indians still have faith in Tim David

With five consecutive losses in five games, the team has been heavily criticized and questioned for their poor performance in the season. Out of the team's many poor decisions, the most shocking one was a lack of faith in Tim David, as he was benched for three games out of five. The big hitter has been paid a hefty amount of 8.25 crores in the auction by Mumbai. Although Mumbai Indians bought him for a significant amount, the hard-hitting all-rounder has got just two games.

 

Who is Tim David?

The Singapore born and raised in  Australia raised batter and a handy off-spinner who has notably grown his reputation as a big hitter in T20 cricket. Tim David has an intimidating presence at the crease reinforced by his ability to hit any ball he pleases over the fence. He boasts a phenomenal strike rate of nearly 160 across various T20 franchise leagues, including BBL, PSL, CPL and T20 Blast, and 14 T20Is for Singapore.

Tim David's match-winning ability was first showcased when he led Singapore to a momentous victory against Zimbabwe in 2019. Though he primarily batted at number 3 for Singapore, Tim David was widely viewed as a specialist T20 finisher with outstanding batting abilities and capable of clearing the ropes. Watching him hitting the bowlers with ease suggests he's an innate aggressor. 

8.25 crore valued played; unworthy for MI?

Due to his excellent power-hitting abilities, Mumbai Indians bagged Tim David for a whopping amount of 8.25 crore in the auction. The player thus became the first player from Singapore to feature in the league. But after two disappointing innings against DC and RR, he managed scores of 12 and 1; the player has been warming benches. He was not included in Mumbai's playing XI for the match against Punjab, which disappointed many. When a team goes far up to 8 crores for a player, he is undoubtedly good enough to play more than just a couple of matches. This indeed shows the absence of faith of management in Tim David. Many have criticized Mumbai’s management and captain Rohit Sharma for this decision, as the team's performance has been disappointing for the season.

Tim David: Cure for MIs collapsed batting line-up?

Mumbai Indians was known for their balanced team and depth in batting. Although, due to the shuffle caused by the mega auction, Mumbai Indians lost many of their key players. Mumbai’s batting line-up mainly depends on skipper Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard. However, these players have failed to score big in the season. Along with them, the newly bought players have also been quite disappointing. It has shattered Mumbai's batting completely, and the franchise is struggling to score big. They had a solid middle order with the Pandya brothers and Pollard's presence earlier, but this season, the team is struggling with the middle order. Tim David can fulfil this need for a strong batsman in the middle as he is equipped with extraordinary power-hitting abilities. The team surely needs to back him and have faith in his batting by giving him more chances in other matches. If supported well, Tim David can turn into a great player and develop the potential to change the team's fortune!