IPL 2022: "He has shown what he can do" - Mahela Jayawardene reflects on Tim David's rise
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene feels Tim David has adapted well to the role allotted to him. Jayawardene believes the Singapore-born player has stepped up and shown his potential when being brought in for Kieron Pollard.
The last few matches have seen Tim David dishing out much-needed big hits in crunch moments for the Mumbai Indians. In contrast, Pollard made way for the right-handed batter after scoring only 144 runs in 11 games at 14.40, striking at 107.46.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of Saturday's game, Mahela Jayawardene felt the initial days of the tournament were tough on Tim David due to the competitive nature of the IPL. However, the Sri Lankan great believes that David's role isn't an easy one, yet, he has shown potential.
"When we got him at the auction, we felt that what he has done in the last 12 months in the circuit, he possesses lots of talent. For us, it was about his temperament and how he is going to handle IPL because it's a different tournament from what he has experienced before, how he is going to adapt."
"Initially, it felt a bit tough for him in the environment and that's probably why he didn't play throughout the season. But he has shown what he can do. It's not easy when you are coming at that number and getting going straight away at that situation and finishing games off. He is adapting to it pretty well at the moment, so for us, it's about giving him the opportunity and confidence."
David earned the Man of the Match award for slamming 44 off 21 deliveries against the Gujarat Titans. The 26-year-old played another explosive knock against the SunRisers Hyderabad. However, he ran himself out at a crucial stage.
"Pollard has been an integral part for us in Mumbai for such a long time" - Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene acknowledged Pollard's struggles. However, he believes the all-rounder has been the heart of their team. The coach summed up the season by stating that the Mumbai Indians have failed to bag the matches in critical moments, but he hopes the youngsters can show them the way forward.
"Obviously, Polly has been an integral part for us in Mumbai for such a long time. He has done it and he's been amazing. Obviously, he has struggled a bit this season and it's an opportunity for us moving forward. It gives us different options on how you want to set the team up against different oppositions. That's something we will sit down after the season and look at all those options but having the quality in the squad, we have to be brutally honest."
"We haven't played good cricket and failed to take control of crucial moments in certain matches. If we had that done and had that confidence to get those 4-5 wins in a row, I know we'll be fighting for those playoffs. I know it's that kind of a season and definitely disappointed, but seeing the skills we have and the way youngsters have performed as well, it's us going back to the drawing board and finding out solutions."
#IPL2022 #AskCricinfoKieron Pollard's struggles continue this season with the bat 📉
Striking at just over a run-a-ball, it's his lowest in the IPL so far 😮 #IPL2022 #AskCricinfo
The Mumbai Indians have won only three games out of the 13 they have played and are out of the playoffs contention. Their final league match is against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday.