Tim David came with massive hype in the IPL 2022 auction and fetched a whopping INR 8.50 crore as Mumbai Indians (MI) acquired him as a long-term asset. Kieron Pollard, MI’s biggest match-winner, retired from the next season, and David had big shoes to fill. Further, he had one of the toughest jobs - batting in the lower order and finishing the innings.

David did well in his maiden season with the five-time champions, scoring 186 runs at a strike rate of 216.27 in eight outings. Then, the following year, David averaged 25.66 and struck at 158.21 in 15 innings. This year, he assembled 241 runs at an average of 30.12 and a 158.55 strike rate in 11 innings.

The performances might not be consistent from the Australian, but it’s worth noting that David was doing the hardest work in the most arduous T20 league in the world. It’s never easy for any finisher to be regular in their job due to the difficulty level, especially in the IPL. Still, David’s numbers weren’t abysmal, and he churned out a few match-winning innings every season.

It will be impossible for any batter to fill Pollard’s void. If someone could come close to what he did for the franchise, he would have done his job. And, Tim David has been decent in every aspect.

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What are the overseas options for Mumbai Indians?

While Mumbai Indians have a strong Indian core, the same can’t be said about the overseas department. It’s not that MI lack options, but they don’t rely on foreign counterparts as much as other sides in the competition. The overseas players MI can choose from are Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Gerald Coetzee, and Nuwan Thushara.

Assuming Thushara and Coetzee are injury-prone, MI won’t retain both. Then, Shepherd might not be good enough to persist with him at this stage. That leaves them with Tim David, and MI can make him one of their retentions.

David knows the setup well and has been part of the franchise for three years. The deck at Wankhede suits his strokeplay, as visible from his strike rate. David has struck over 155 in every edition and has been among the best finishers in the league.

The value of Tim David in IPL auction

If Tim David goes into the IPL 2025 mega auction, he will be one of the most sought-after players and fetch a massive sum again. David is a pace-hitter who can hit boundaries from the first ball nd an equally good player of spin, making him a solid prospect. The lower-order hitters are always in the trend in this format.

Teams can also promote David and extract the most out of him. It’s an area MI have failed to cash in, for they always treated him as a finisher. His price might inflate so much that MI can’t use RTM (Right To Match).

David has vast experience in T20 leagues and fits into any team quickly. Although he still has issues against back of the length deliveries, bowled at high pace, there are hardly any players with better overall statistics than David . If MI don’t persist with him, other sides won’t mind going hard after him in the auction. Such players will never go out of fashion, simply for the dearth of players who can bat in such a crucial role while providing good value.

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