Tim David smashed 45 runs off 18 balls in a losing cause against the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday. Chasing 194, the Mumbai Indians fell short of three runs. 

MI were reeling at 67/5 when Tim David arrived at the crease. The five-time champions had failed to build on the start skipper Rohit Sharma (48 off 36) and Ishan Kishan (43 off 34) gave them at the top. Daniel Sams and Tilak Varma could not make a mark. 

Also read: IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians’ Tim David explains his six-hitting formula

David then counter-attacked the SRH bowlers. He hit three boundaries and four maximums during his stay at the crease. The Singaporean cricketer now has 152 runs in seven games against his name in IPL 2022. The 26-year-old has batted at a whopping strike rate of 202.66. 

However, all his big scores came after he was benched for six games. After registering scores of 12 and 1 at the beginning of the tournament, Mumbai Indians dropped their Rs 8.25 crore buy. However, since his return, David has scored 139 runs in five matches, averaging just under 50. 

Also read: IPL 2022: Struggling for runs Ishan Kishan opens up about poor form

Talking about how being dropped helped Tim David, MI opener Ishan Kishan said, “IPL is a big stage and the decisions taken by the management is for the betterment of the team. Nothing personal in it. Unfortunately, he (David) was dropped from the team. But if you look at the other way, he prepared himself to play in the Indian wickets. So, being dropped isn’t always bad as it gives the player an opportunity to analyse his game.”

Also read: IPL 2022: Jasprit Bumrah’s bouncy journey to 250 T20 wickets

The wicketkeeper-batter, at a post-match press conference, further explained that the call was a tough one but helped David return and perform well. 

“The comeback he has made and the innings he has played have been mind-blowing. So, it was a good call (to drop David). A lot of people will say that the way he is playing, he should’ve been backed from the start. But, it’s always tough for the captain and management to make calls. Sometimes these decisions help players when they return and perform well,” he added.