He has been unstoppable in the new role.
Australia and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David has been magnificent since getting a promotion in T20Is. He was always a powerful batter with superior pace-hitting ability, but his recent improvements against spinners have made him a complete T20 batter.
David was again at his ruthless best during the third T20I against India, where he batted at No.4 and unleashed carnage against a strong bowling attack. He scored 74 runs in just 38 balls, including eight boundaries and five maximums, at a strike rate of 194.74.
83.78% of his runs came via fours and sixes, and he scored 39.78% of the team’s runs alone in this innings. When David arrived at the crease, Australia were 14/2 in 2.3 overs, but he took the attack back on the opponent by hitting them all around the park.
He was severe against all the bowlers and flaunted his brute power, even against a quality spinner like Varun Chakravarthy, who has been marvellous with the ball lately. His wicket-taking delivery almost went for a maximum, and it required a special effort from Tilak Varma on the boundary ropes to cut his innings short against the run of play.
Tim David mostly batted in the lower order, but as more all-rounders arrived, Australia decided to promote him, leaving all-rounders below him in the order. The move worked like a charm, as David showed another dimension to his game by batting at an equally high strike rate but with more consistency.
ALSO READ:
He has played nine T20I innings this year, and all of them have been at either No.4 or 5, where his numbers have been sensational for Australia. David has 381 runs at an average of 54.42 and a strike rate of 199.47 in nine innings, including three fifties and a century.
Among all batters with at least 100 balls among full-member sides, David’s strike rate is only second to Abhishek Sharma (202.98), and he hits a boundary every 3.18 deliveries this year. His spin numbers have also improved: his strike rate and balls-per-boundary ratio last year were 102.94 and 11.33, respectively, but they have surged to 228.37 and 2.84, respectively, this year.
Clearly, the promotion has unleashed his beast mode, and Tim David has shown he has the game to succeed even at the top and can be flexible with his batting position. Australia have plenty of all-rounders to work with, but David has still shown the value of a T20 specialist batter, and his improved returns will be crucial for them in the T20 World Cup 2026.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
