It wasn’t too long ago that Tim David became Wankhede’s favourite hero when he smacked a hat-trick of sixes and won Mumbai Indians an IPL 2023 humdinger against Rajasthan Royals. Needing 15 to win off the last over, David went 6, 6, 6 to seal a much-needed win for the five-time champions. Leading up to IPL 2023, with Kieron Pollard gone, David was supposed to be a like-for-like replacement for the big-hitting West Indian, and his unbeaten 45 backed all the hype surrounding him.
However, 15 days later, David found himself in a similar situation but failed to get the job done for his team this time around. With MI needing 11 to win off the last over against Lucknow Super Giants, David and Cameron Green were choked by Mohsin’s death-over exploits, which saw him conceded just five runs. A pair that carries the reputation of being big hitters and is expected to replace the Pollard-Hardik Pandya duo, was left speechless against some quality bowling from the 24-year-old left-arm quick.
It’s funny how things work in the IPL. After MI’s five-run defeat, an old Instagram post from David has gone viral. After MI’s win against Delhi Capitals, David had posted a picture of himself and Green, which carried the caption: “If you need 5 off 6, we are your men”. Against DC, Green and David were at the crease when MI needed 5 to win, and last night, the two men struggled to score 5 when 11 were needed.
LSG’s win propelled them to third in the IPL 2023 table with 15 points, next only to Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings. Wednesday’s game between DC and Punjab Kings becomes an all-important one. A win for DC will boost CSK, MI and LSG’s chances while victory for PBKS will help them big time in the race for the Playoffs. Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals are also in the hunt but their chances of qualifying will depend on the outcome of their matches and then some.