Tim David has ensured Bengaluru didn’t miss compatriot Josh Hazlewood
Tim David just keeps burnishing his glittering reputation as a finisher supreme in the IPL as his latest explosive cameo helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru roar to their third win in four matches.
It could have been an awkward Sunday evening for RCB, who were managing their star quick Josh Hazlewood’s return to action and left him out for the match at Mumbai Indians, but his Aussie teammate David was up for one of his super shows.
A week after his incredible 70no off 25 balls against Chennai, he was positively subdued in comparison at the Wankhede, but still maintained the good work of his top-order.
Player-of-the-match Phil Salt hit 78 off 36, Virat Kohli 50 off 38 and captain Rajat Patidar 53 off 20, before the towering slugger emerged to crack 34no off 16, with two fours and three sixes.
David has been operating all season at a strike-rate of 221.66, and averages 133 for his four knocks.
One of his maximums was clouted off Jasprit Bumrah, the ball after David had also hit the world’s best quick for four, and he concluded the innings by sending Trent Boult somewhere over deep midwicket into the Mumbai night. He can’t be accused of just depositing ordinary bowlers.
RCB’s 4-240 looked too much for Mumbai, especially once Rohit Sharma retired hurt with a hamstring injury, and they eventually fell short on 5-222 despite a late blast of 71no off 31 from West Indian Sherfane Rutherford.
Earlier in Lucknow, Jos Buttler’s rejuvenation under the watchful eye of Gujarat Titans’ batting coach Matthew Hayden left the former England white-ball skipper heaping praise on the Aussie great after his quickfire 60 off 37 balls had set them on their way to a seven-wicket victory over the Super Giants.
“When he speaks, you listen,” declared Buttler, who had been in woeful form through the World Cup and has only rediscovered his best touch again in the last week under Hayden.
“In one of the first few sessions he asked me, ‘how well are you watching the ball, it doesn’t look like you’re tracking it that well?’
“Great players like him have the most simple advice. I’ve been focusing on everything pre-delivery and then backing that. I’ve played for 15 years, so I know what to do when I get in.”
Blasting his second fifty in a week and going past 14,000 career T20 runs in the chase of 8-164, Buttler’s knock and captain Shubman Gill’s unbeaten 56 eased Gujarat to victory with eight balls remaining as they reached 3-165.
Earlier, Prasidh Krishna had done the damage with the ball for Gujarat with his 4-28, while Mitch Marsh succumbed early again for just 11 for Justin Langer-coached Lucknow. That’s now just 75 runs in four knocks for the Aussie T20 skipper.
IPL 2026 standings
Australians in IPL 2026
Chennai Super Kings: Matt Short ($255k), Spencer Johnson ($255k, replaces Nathan Ellis ($340k))
Delhi Capitals: Mitchell Starc ($2m)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Josh Hazlewood ($2.13m), Tim David ($510k)
Punjab Kings: Marcus Stoinis ($1.9m), Ben Dwarshuis ($745k), Mitchell Owen ($510k), Cooper Connolly ($510k), Xavier Bartlett ($136k)
Kolkata Knight Riders: Cameron Green ($3.5m)
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins ($3.5m), Travis Head ($2.38m), Jack Edwards ($510k, withdrawn)
Lucknow Super Giants: Josh Inglis ($1.49m), Mitchell Marsh ($578k)
