Singapore's Tim David was picked up by the Mumbai Indians during the IPL 2022 mega auction at a hefty price of INR 8.25 crs. The Singaporean-Australian cricketer has a reputation for being a powerful striker of the cricket ball and is an important part of the Singapore national cricket team.

However, MI decided to drop David after the first two matches with scores of 12 runs and 1 run respectively. After being benched for the next 6 matches, David went on to score a quickfire inning of 44 off 21, with a 200-plus strike rate against GT.

In the recent match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Tim David showcased his true prowess as a power hitter as he ripped apart SRH’s bowling attack and scored 46 off 18, before getting run out to keep the strike, as MI lost the match by 3 runs.

During the post-match presentation, Ishan Kishan was asked by NDTV about MI’s decision to drop Tim David after two matches, to which he replied, "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."

He also added, "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."

(NDTV inputs)