Tim David

Mumbai Indians' decision to sign Tim David for INR 8.25 crore (AUD 1.5 million) at the 2022 IPL auction confirmed two things. Firstly, that the game's formats had diverged so much that a man without a state contract or even a first-class appearance to his name could be worth such a sum; and secondly, that David had become one of the world's most sought-after T20 finishers over the previous 12 months.

David, a powerful 6ft 5in middle-order hitter, was born in Singapore but raised in Western Australia, attending Scotch College, a prestigious school in Perth's leafy western suburbs. He was offered a state contract by WA in 2018-19 but never made the cut as a senior player. He took the rejection in his stride and threw himself into white-ball cricket, playing for Singapore - including at the T20 World Cup qualifier in 2019 - and winning sporadic opportuntiy for the Scorchers in the BBL.

But his rise really started in 2020-21, when former WA bowling coach Adam Griffith lured him to Hobart Hurricanes. After a breakout BBL season, he was picked by Lahore Qalandars for the second half of the PSL: he kept performing, and contracts kept coming: for Surrey, Southern Brave, St Lucia Kings, RCB and Multan, then for Mumbai. In IPL 2022, he faced 86 balls and hit 16 of them for six, finishing the season with the best-ever strike rate for a batter in a single campaign (min. 50 balls) despite being dropped early on in the competition.

David's opportunities have largely come as a finisher but he has occasionally batted at No. 3 and hopes to develop into a versatile T20 batter. He is a genuine power-hitter, particularly strong down the ground in the mould of Kieron Pollard, his team-mate at Mumbai Indians in 2022. After a stress fracture in his foot while on his rookie deal at WA, he switched from seam to spin and now bowls handy offbreaks, and is also a reliable fielder in the deep at long-on or midwicket.

ESPNcricinfo staff