As the IPL season unfolds, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya has been scrutinized for his batting performance. Tim David, the team’s all-rounder, comes to Pandya’s defense, highlighting his pivotal role in the team’s batting line-up.

Pandya’s Performance Overview

Pandya’s scoring rate has been a topic of discussion, with his strike rate of 138.46 garnering attention. Despite facing criticism for not accelerating enough, Pandya’s contribution has been more nuanced than mere run-scoring.

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Examining specific matches sheds light on Pandya’s significance. In the match against Gujarat Titans, his quick-fire 11 runs may have seemed insufficient, but his role in setting the platform is crucial.

“We have had conversations about how we have played. Hardik has been playing a really important job for our team. Look at the last match , we struggled really hard for momentum towards the back end . Hardik played a perfect innings that set the platform for myself and Romario to go on with at the end,” David told the media during Mumbai Indians’ training session at the Wankhede Stadium.

Pandya’s Role as the Glue: Holding the Innings Together

David emphasizes Pandya’s role as the “glue” that holds the batting together. In a sport where momentum is key, Pandya’s ability to stabilize the innings cannot be overstated.

“With the extra freedom of having an extra batter, there is maybe a little bit less responsibility. Some people are playing with a little bit more freedom or throwing caution to the wind. Like I said at the start, we had Hardik playing a middle order role in the last match. He was the glue that held us together and gave us a chance to play with freedom at the back end,” David added.

Team Dynamics: Pandya’s Contribution Beyond Runs

David delves into the team dynamics, acknowledging that while some players may take more risks, Pandya’s stability allows others to flourish freely. His presence in the middle order provides a sense of security. David said the team has absolutely no concerns with the way their skipper has batted so far.

“You could go look at the first game where Hardik hit two boundaries in his first two balls. absolutely full faith in him. We know his power; we know how good he is. When he gets into that situation, he is going to win games for us,” David added.

Hardik Pandya led Mumbai Indians to their first win in this year’s IPL as they beat Delhi Capitals by 29 runs. Mumbai Indians, who are five-time champions, finally secured their first points in the tournament. Romario Shepherd played a crucial role in Mumbai’s victory with his unbeaten 39 runs off just 10 balls.

His contribution was particularly significant in the 20th over, bowled by Anrich Nortje, where Mumbai Indians scored 32 runs, setting a challenging target of 234 for 5. Despite Tristan Stubbs’s impressive innings of 71 not out off 25 balls for Delhi Capitals, they could only manage to reach 205 for 8 in their chase.

Rohit Sharma gives the first push towards win

Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan laid a solid foundation for Mumbai Indians, scoring 49 and 42 runs respectively. Notably, Rohit Sharma also etched his name in history by becoming the fourth player to take 100 or more catches as a fielder in the IPL.

Romario Shepherd delivered a sensational performance for Mumbai Indians, orchestrating an incredible cameo that set the Wankhede Stadium alight. His blistering knock of 39 runs off just 10 balls propelled the hosts to a towering total of 234 for five. Shepherd’s onslaught was particularly brutal in the final over, where he mercilessly took Anrich Nortje to the cleaners, smashing him for an astonishing 32 runs.

The over witnessed four massive sixes and a couple of boundaries, igniting the crowd with excitement. Nortje, who endured a nightmarish spell, ended with figures of 4-0-65-2.

Hardik and Tim David make the final turn

Despite a spirited fightback from Delhi Capitals in the middle overs, Mumbai Indians accelerated brilliantly towards the end, smashing an astounding 96 runs in the final five overs. Tim David contributed with an unbeaten 45 alongside Shepherd, consolidating Mumbai’s imposing total and ensuring a commanding victory. Moreover, Hardik registered 39 runs.

In a dramatic turnaround, Mumbai Indians secured their first victory of the IPL 2024 season, breaking their three-match losing streak. Gerald Coetzee emerged as the hero for MI, delivering a flawless final over that sealed the win in spectacular fashion. Despite Tristan Stubbs’ valiant unbeaten knock of 71 runs off just 25 balls, the task of scoring 34 runs off the final over proved insurmountable for Delhi Capitals.

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Coetzee’s remarkable spell saw him take three wickets while conceding a mere four runs, effectively shutting down any hopes of a late resurgence from the opposition. With this triumph, Mumbai Indians opened their account in IPL 2024 with a resounding 29-run victory, marking a special moment for the team on their home ground.

The Australian cricket team delivered a stellar performance, successfully chasing down the 216-run target set by New Zealand with six wickets in hand within 20 overs. This remarkable achievement marked their third-highest successful run chase in T20 cricket, underscoring their resilience in high-pressure situations.

Notably, Australia’s highest successful T20I run chase had also occurred against the Kiwis in Auckland back in 2018 when they achieved a stunning target of 244 runs with seven balls remaining. The second-best chase involved India whereby they hunted down 223 runs in Guwahati last year thereby showing their capacity of chasing big targets against top notch opponents.

Australia’s Dominance in T20I Run-Chases

In a nail-biting climax to the match, and needing 16 off the last over, Tim David played a brave innings striking veteran bowler Tim Southee for 12 from three balls which included an important six and boundary off last throw thus giving Australia an exciting victory.

Unbeaten on 72 runs off 44 balls, skipper Mitchell Marsh provided the much needed support to Tim David. The duo stepped in after wicketkeeper Josh Inglis was dismissed—forming a crucial partnership of 44 runs in just 19 deliveries and taking Australia towards an imposing target set by New Zealand.

Australia’s openers Travis Head and David Warner got the Australian chase off to a good start. Although they both fell within the first seven overs, their rapid scoring partnership put them in a strong position at 69-2.

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Mitchell Marsh and Tim David’s Heroic Partnership

In spite of losing important players, there were middle-order batsmen that contributed substantially to the pursuit. Glenn Maxwell injected some energy into the innings with his quick fire knock of 25 from just 11 balls before being cleaned up by Lockie Ferguson who took a well-directed yorker thus stood out as New Zealand’s most economical bowler.

The first innings began with Finn Allen and Devon Conway opening up with a quickfire partnership of 61 runs in merely 5.2 overs for the Black Caps Franchise. This was followed by Rachin Ravindra reaching his maiden T20I fifty from twenty nine deliveries while Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman also played valuable hands, leading to New Zealand amassing an imposing total of two hundred fifteen for three.

Australia’s strong batting, led by Mitchell Marsh and Tim David, eventually ensured a famous win in a high-scoring contest despite New Zealand’s daunting total, revealing their tough side and performance under pressure in T20 cricket.

42nd Match, IPL: Mumbai Indians 214 for 4 (Suryakumar 55, Tim David 45*, Ashwin 2-27) beat Rajasthan Royals 212 for 7 (Jaiswal 124, Arshad 3-39) by six wickets

Yashasvi Jaiswal scored the most remarkable century for Rajasthan Royals against his home team Mumbai Indians in an IPL match meant to honor the past rather than the future. In addition, he appeared to be on the winning side for 35.4 outs.

However, a peculiarity of Twenty20 cricket is that the decision frequently rests with the player who does not spend a lot of time in the middle. Tim David only had to face 14 balls. In any case, that was still enough for him to redirect history. At the Wankhede Stadium, for the first time in the IPL, a total of 200 or more was chased down. David was at the center of it all, smashing three sixes off three full tosses from Jason Holder in the final over.

It must be given to the IPL. It knows how to celebrate a thousand years of existence.

Jaisw-all the way

This tournament has become an integral part of Indian life after more than 999 matches. As his career develops, the main character from its 1000th may well attain a similar status. Jaiswal, who is 21 years old, overcame a slow pitch to score 124 runs off 62 balls, including 16 fours and eight sixes. 18 of 19 was the Royals’ next-best contribution.

His century was the most by an uncapped Indian batter in the Indian Premier League, and he also had the second-highest percentage of runs in boundaries in men’s T20 cricket (90.32). It was fantastic and here’s a rundown of motivations behind why.

His shots’ quality and range. He cleared the Wankhede with a short ball from Jofra Archer. He beat Piyush Chawla by reverse sweep for a six-over point. He scooped Riley Meredith over fine leg. He hit a cover drive to reach fifty. Furthermore, his hundred with a force shot before square up and down the ground. Then there was the way that every one of them were neatly hit on a surface that jumbled every other person up. A knuckle ball so badly deceived Rohit Sharma, who is perhaps Indian cricket’s poster boy for timing, that 90% of his body was nowhere near the line of it. He was basically tricked by this pitch and Sandeep Sharma into putting one on his stumps.

Lastly, the majority of Jaiswal’s destruction occurred at a time when his team was losing the advantage. Royals were 72 for 0 in their initial seven overs. In the subsequent four innings, they went 3 for 31. It was becoming painfully obvious that the set batter had to control the acceleration and last the entire inning. That is a great deal of liability. Especially considering that he was playing Archer, a bowler who had never played before.

But Jaiswal didn’t even blink. Since the 12th over, he has scored 72 of the Royals’ 109 runs. That accounts for 66% of a team’s runs in the middle overs and at the end.

SKY high

R Ashwin had bowled 192 balls in the IPL before this match. He had also only distributed seven sixes. When he came out to bat, Suryakumar Yadav sent him flying for one. He is so talented. He is able to turn extremely talented bowlers into extremely average ones.

The thing that really stands out about Suryakumar, despite how impressive his shots can sometimes be—in one over, he scooped Jason Holder over the keeper for six, and in the next ball, attempting a yorker from around the wicket, he whipped it straight-bat through midwicket—is how steadfastly he believes in himself.

In the relatively recent past, he sacked three first-ball ducks on the jog, but he continues to play the manner in which he has consistently played. Awe-inspiring high-risk cricket. Wankhede was also convinced by him.

He had a crowd that cheered for Sachin, Rohit, Bumrah, Malinga, and Bumrah. They also cheered for him.

The Royals became suddenly concerned.

A turning point

At the auction, all ten teams ignored Sandeep. When one of their primary quicks, Prasidh Krishna, was injured and unable to play, the Royals brought him in.

He became the rare bowler who can tell his grandchildren that he defeated MS Dhoni in the final over of a chase in his second match of the season. He dispatched Suryakumar with a complete screamer in his seventh match, scoring 55 off 29.

From a short fine leg, Sandeep had to run back 19 meters. Meanwhile looking over his left shoulder. He appeared to be being beaten by the ball even then. He needed to jump, impel himself off the ground, and connect with two hands. It was stuff for the fingers.

Tim David finishes it off

The 18th game was over. He only got 11 out of 6. Mumbai’s asking rate was up in the nosebleeds, at 16.6. But David batted as though they were the ones on top; like the scoreboard was lying.

In the 18th over, he hit Boult for a four. He invited Sandeep in the nineteenth over with a six. One of the most powerful players in the world got under the ball and found the boundary after the bowler, panicked, gave up a wide and missed his wide yorker by just a few inches.

The condition was currently down to 17 off the last over and it was to be bowled by somebody who is simply not fit to the assignment. Jason Holder is a new-ball weapon. He does not have a sufficient yorkie to perform the duties at the funeral. What’s more, to exacerbate the situation, the dew had come in, making it hard to hold the ball appropriately.

Everything was set up for the show off finish and David gave it. A man who became famous for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat went 6, 6, 6, resulting in the delirium of 27,000 individuals.

For Tim David, it has been quite a journey to get into the Australian cricket team. After starting off his international career for Singapore, the destructive batter decided to leave his national team and bet on himself. David decided to become a globetrotter on the T20 circuit around the world and quickly became a hot prospect in the shortest format of the game.

The teams started going mad for him to get him into their side, as seen from his IPL auction battle between Mumbai Indians and Kolkata KnightRiders for this year’s edition. The five-time Champions won the battle and reaped the rewards as the batter got into form towards the end of the competition with some stunning displays. In nine matches he played for the Mumbai franchise, David scored 187 runs in 89 balls with a staggering strike-rate of 210.1.

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Thrilling match between India vs Australia on Tuesday

The 26-year-old, who has now made it into the T20 World Cup squad for Australia, admitted that for a long time he felt that representing the national team looked unlikely, but he refused to give up on it. “I think for a long time (representing Australia) looked unlikely, but I don’t think that I wouldn’t have ever imagined it. It’s something that you still always want to strive for, and I guess it feels really rewarding for myself and I guess for my family and my support network to be able to get that call and share it with them,” said David.

Even former player Brad Hodge said Australia shouldn’t go back on keeping David in the T20 setup and should find him a stable spot. “This is the first time he will be able to squeeze into an Australian T20 side and I don’t think we should look back from this point onwards. He should be nearly first pick in this eleven going forward. If they can get this right, If they can give him a stable position at No.5 or No.6, then it will be a long way to going to be successful in the tournament,” said Hodge.

But this isn’t only newbie we will talk about ahead of the first match. Cameron Green also has the spotlight on him and the all-rounder has stepped up to the plate recently in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. But that’s just not all. The youngster has been getting backing from all corners including Ravichandran Ashwin who the man will go for big bucks if he puts himself in the IPL auction.

The Mumbai Indians have always been good at scouting young talent. Their knack for finding potential has helped unearth the likes of Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and even Kieron Pollard in the early years. This season has been far from their best, but the Mumbai Indians have had one benefit of being eliminated early. They were able to try new players, and with an under-par auction, the Mumbai Indians had a lot of inexperienced players, who were yet to be tried. This season though, with Mumbai out early and the likes of Suryakumar Yadav injured, gave the Mumbai Indians a chance to try play new faces.

Among the newcomers, Tilak Varma was easily the most impressive. He played all fourteen games and looked least bothered, facing some of the best bowlers in the World. His technique and temperament stood out as Varma was Mumbai’s most consistent batter this season, after Suryakumar Yadav got ruled out. He was three runs short of 400 for the season, and is a candidate for the emerging player of the season. With Mumbai losing batting power in the form of De Kock and the Pandya brothers, Varma’s rise comes as a gift as Mumbai Indians can now start building another strong middle-order.

Another middle-order candidate who has impressed is Dewald Brevis. He has been termed Baby AB before the season and his shots show why he has such a tag. While Dewald Brevis didn’t get off to a flyer this season he had some decent starts. The starts provide were enough to give a decent insight on what Dewald Brevis has in store and how he can contribute to the batting line-up.

After Tilak Varma though, the biggest boost to the batting line-up would be Tim David. Tim David is already a huge name in the franchise circuit but after a poor season with RCB, David’s name fell a touch in India. Mumbai Indians though, showed their scouting and tactical skills yet again, and invested a fair bit in him. With Kieron Pollard inconsistent, the appointment of Tim David helps them find an explosive finisher, and David has given glimpses in his last two games, despite the poor start.

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With David, Varma and Brevis going strong, the Mumbai Indians have found some players who could be rotated around the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan, giving Mumbai five strong batters. In the bowling attack, Mumbai found some nice spinners, a hole in their side since Rahul Chahar left. Both Shokeen and Kartikeya were given a fair run in the side. With four to five games between them, the spinners maintained decent economy rates and showed that they have what it takes to hold their own in the IPL. They are still not the most aggressive and wicket-taking options, but are still young and have the ability to learn how to find wicket-taking deliveries.

The fast-bowling unit has also acquired some nice names this season. Daniel Sams got off to one of the worst starts in the IPL. He was expensive, and looked hopeless early on. As the games went on though, Sams improved and even beat David Miller in a final over shootout, defending nine runs. The game boosted his confidence and he became a consistent wicket-taker over the remainder of the season.

Another bowler who has impressed is Ramandeep Singh. Playing five games, Ramandeep has impressed with his ability to bowl a few overs at the death, and take wickets too. As a batter, Ramandeep has done enough to show that he is a capable middle to the lower-order batter, and with his skillset, he could play the role Hardik Pandya used to as a finisher who could bowl a couple of handy overs.

With some nice names in the spin and pace department coming up, the Mumbai line-up looks a little better than it did at the start of the season. The Mumbai Indians are normally slow starters after a mega auction, and next season they could be among the more dangerous sides now that they have found a balance in their line-up. With Jofra Archer primed to return, the bowling attack will look even stronger with Bumrah and Archer partnering up.

Tim David comes under a rare breed of Cricketers. He specializes in finishing and is from a region that doesn’t play much Cricket. Hailing from Singapore though, Tim David is making lots of noise in franchise Cricket. He is a hot commodity for his ability to hit sixers with ease in the death. He has a strike-rate of 199 in this seasons PSL and a T20 strike-rate of 159 after 88 games.

See Also: 2022 PSL Finals, Players who can make a Massive Impact – Cricket Winner

In most cases Tim David’s role is to come in during the last few overs and clobber a few. While the job seems fun it isn’t tough and you rarely see cricketers manage to play such a role consistently. There has been the likes of Pollard, Maxwell and Pandya who all come in and look to go from ball one, but the difference with them and Tim David has been consistency. The previous mentioned players go at a match faster rate on their day but when its not their day they often struggle. Tim David on most occasions gets the job done, and has also been effective at various stages of the innings.

This season, Tim David has come in earlier as well and played knocks such as a 70 odd of a little under 30 balls. His journey started in the Big Bash League last year. Tim David came to light with an incredible season. He focused on hitting sixes and the tournament helped him move on to other leagues. He went on to play the PSL and CPL. In both the leagues David had to adjust to varying conditions.

The UAE leg of the PSL challenged David with slow pitches and the CPL which sees the focus shift to big hits with a higher dot ball percentage. In both cases David adjusted nicely and managed to get free, playing at his normal strike-rate. He runs well between the wickets as well and these factors helped him have a brilliant season this time around.

This season alone, David has made two impactful fifties with a strike rate above 250 odd. He also had some final over cameos that turned out to help Rizwan and the Sultans. With finishing abilities as good as David’s the batter was in hot demand at the IPL Auctions. He was picked up by the Mumbai Indians for more than 8 crores, and will be joining another brilliant finisher in Kieron Pollard.

Tim David though will not be thinking about that just yet. His focus is likely to be on the game ahead. With a high-pressure situation ahead of him, David will hope to ease the load on the Sultans with some more big blows, allowing them to take control of the game. He has grown strongly as a finisher in the last year and is enjoying a strong run which can only get better from here.

A World Cup spot is also there for the taking as Tim David may look to end his Singapore days and play for Australia. His sustainable hitting ability is surely valuable, and the explosive Tim David will be one to watch out for, especially when he gets the chance to face high-quality bowlers going forward. For now he has the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi ahead of him, and will have to fight hard against one of the best fast bowlers going around now.

The PSL Finals are here and two teams who have made strong strides in the tournament take each other on. A final needs just small moments to sway a teams way, and each side has the quality to win those mini-battles and take the momentum. Coming into the PSL Finals let us look at some players who can make a statement with ease on the PSL Finals.

See Also: Lahore Qalandars Vs Multan Sultans Match Prediction – Cricket Winner

Mohammad Rizwan

Mohammad Rizwan is the second-highest run-getter this season and has been the most influential captain so far. He is setting strong platforms, allowing others to bat with freedom. Openers generally have a large say on the proceedings of a match as they help set up or dismantle the batting side’s momentum.  Even a solid 30 from Rizwan will be helpful as he will be able to neutralize Shaheen Shah Afridi in the process and make things easier for the other batters.

Tim David

Tim David is striking at 199 and can be monstrous when he gets going. He hits big sixers and a couple in the PSL Finals will put Sultans in a dangerous position. With the ability to strike from ball one, Tim David will be a target for Qalandars as he can take the game away in the flash of a second.

Fakhar Zaman

Fakhar Zaman is another opener who will have a large say on how the game goes. He knows how to handle pressure better than anyone else. His century in the Champions Trophy finals against India was top quality and a clear example of his ability and influence in the game. He is the leading run-scorer in the tournament, and can get quick starts to demoralize the opposition. If Zaman manages an innings longer than 20 balls the game will definitely run away from the Sultans.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

While opening batters have a huge say on the momentum of the game, the bowlers can do just as well to dictate the motion. Shaheen Shah Afridi is among the top bowlers in Pakistan now and can change the game in an over. With his pace an talent he can easily bowl game changing overs, and if he manages to pull out such an over in the PSL Finals his team will be in a strong position.

David Wiese

David Wiese is a big name in the franchise circuit and he showed why he is such a big name in the second qualifier. He punished the bowlers in the death, and bowled a clean and neat over to help defend a score that looked like it would easily be chased down. He can make an impact with both bat and ball, and through the game there will be a lot of eyes on David Wiese.

Imran Tahir

The oldest player in the finals, and probably the most experienced along with Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Tahir, comes into yet another Final. He is an aggressive leg-spin bowler and knows how to take wickets in the middle-overs as well as his abilities are known to the world. Nearly 43, Imran Tahir is among the top wicket takers this season, and his middle over wickets can help choke oppositions with ease. His middle over spell will be important and can easily determine the course of the PSL Finals.