RCB's 3 crore big-hitter joins camp for IPL 2025 [In Picture]
Australia's swashbuckling batter Tim David has joined the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) camp for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The right-handed batter has rejoined the Bengaluru-based franchise after playing a solitary game for them in 2021 before getting replaced due to an injury.
The 28-year-old spent the last three seasons with the five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI). During his stint at MI, Tim David amassed 659 runs in 35 innings at a strike rate of 170.28. Overall, he has amassed 5152 runs in 244 T20 innings at a stunning strike rate of 160, including 17 half-centuries.
RCB splurged INR 3 crore for his services at the IPL 2025 auction in November last year.
The Singapore-born player has played in several T20 leagues around the world, including the Big Bash League (BBL), SA20, Pakistan Super League (PSL), Major League Cricket (MLC), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), International League T20 (ILT20), and Caribbean Premier League (CPL). As a result, he will look to fill in the void of now-retired Dinesh Karthik for RCB in the upcoming IPL season.
On his arrival, RCB shared a post on X that reads:
"๐ก๐ผ ๐ต๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ ๐๐ฝ, ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒโ๐ ๐ง๐ถ๐บ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฑ! Happy #Homecoming, TD! Canโt wait to see you #PlayBold and activate your BEAST mode!"
Take a look:
โAbility to finish an innings, whether that's two, 12 or 20 balls, is highly sought afterโ โ When Aussie selector lauded RCB batterโs finishing skills
Australian selector George Bailey had lauded RCBโs Tim David for his exploits with the bat in T20s in September 2022. The former Aussie captain said (via ESPNcricinfo):
โIf you look at franchise and international teams around the world the ability to finish an innings, whether that's two, 12 or 20 balls, is highly sought after.โ
Meanwhile, RCB will begin their season against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on March 22. The Bengaluru-based franchise have appointed Rajat Patidar as their captain in quest for their maiden IPL glory in the 18th edition of the tournament.
RCB squad for IPL 2025: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar (c), Yash Dayal, Liam Livingstone, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Rasikh Dar, Suyash Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Nuwan Thusara, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell, Swastik Chikara, Devdutt Padikkal, Lungi Ngidi, Abhinandan Singh, and Mohit Rathee.