IPL 2022 Mega Auction: Who is Tim David, the cricketer from Singapore signed by Mumbai Indians

Singapore international cricketer Tim David was signed by Mumbai Indians for Rs 8.25 crore on Day 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction in Bengaluru on Sunday. The all-rounder, known for his hard-hitting batting skills, was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for Finn Allen in last year's IPL and played a solitary match in the season. The 25-year-old, who had a base price of Rs 20 lakh last year, went unsold in the 2021 auction.

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Following the signing, Mumbai Indians took to Twitter to welcome their 'Singapore Express' and posted a video captioned: Clearing the boundary like a BOSS.

Timothy Hays David, better known as Tim David, was born in Singapore on March 16, 1996. His father, Rod David, also played for Singapore at the 1997 ICC Trophy. The family moved to Singapore from Australia in the 1990s, where his father worked as an engineer. They moved back to Australia when he was two years old in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and he grew up in Perth.

Tim David, who also bowls right-arm off-break, made his T20 international debut for Singapore against Qatar on July 22, 2019. He made his List A debut for Singapore, against Qatar, in the Cricket World Cup Challenge League A tournament on September 17 2019. David was the leading run-scorer, with 369 runs in five matches. In October 2019, he was included in Singapore's squad for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier tournament in the United Arab Emirates. The ICC named him the player to watch in Singapore's unit ahead of the tournament.

So far, he has played 14 T20Is for Singapore, scoring 558 runs, including four half-centuries at an average of 46.5 and a staggering strike rate of 158.52. He has also scalped five wickets. 

The youngster also has vast experience of franchise T20 cricket, having impacted the Big Bash League, Pakistan Super League, the Hundred and Vitality T20 Blast in England, and the Caribbean Premier League. 

David made his T20 debut for Perth Scorchers in the 2017–18 Big Bash League season on January 1, 2018. The Hobart Hurricanes signed the all-rounder for the 2020–21 Big Bash League season. In the tournament's opening fixture, he amassed 58 runs, with Hobart Hurricanes beating the Sydney Sixers by 16 runs, and David was named the player of the match.

In May 2021, David was signed by Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars as a replacement for Joe Burns. In the 2022 PSL season, the all-rounder was signed by reigning champions Multan Sultans.

In July 2021, Tim David played in the Hoofdklasse tournament in the Netherlands. After playing in the Dutch league, he signed with Surrey County Cricket Club to play in Surrey's final two matches in the 2021 T20 Blast in England. 

The following month, the explosive batter played in the 2021 Royal London One-Day Cup and scored his first century in List A cricket with an unbeaten 140 against Warwickshire. In the quarter-finals of the tournament, Tim David scored 102 runs, as Surrey beat Gloucestershire by five wickets to advance to the competition's semi-finals.

In the final for the 2021 season of The Hundred, David scored 15 off six balls. He also came up with a catch and later a crucial runout of Liam Livingstone, which played a significant role in his team winning. In February 2022, David was signed by Lancashire County Cricket Club to play in the 2022 T20 Blast in England.

In August 2021, the all-rounder was included in the RCB's squad for the second leg of IPL in the UAE. He made his IPL debut on September 24 2021, against Chennai Super Kings, and became the first international player from Singapore to play in the league.

Also read: IPL 2022 Mega Auction: How the 10 franchises shaped up heading into Day 2

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• IPL
• IPL 2022
• IPL 2022 Mega Auction