IPL 2021: Can Tim David be the finisher RCB has been looking for?

Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Tim David has recently been the talk of the town. He has been in terrific form in leagues across the world and has impressed everyone. Tim David is a clean hitter of the ball and one of the best finishers going around. RCB picked him as a replacement for Finn Allen, who pulled out of the second phase of IPL 2021.

RCB has always been touted as a very strong batting team with the likes of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in their ranks. Their top order has always been among the best but they lacked the finishing impetus needed at the end of the inning. They will be hoping to resolve this issue with the inclusion of Tim David.

RCB are yet to win the IPL title and fans will be desperate to see their favourite side win. The first half of the IPL 2021 has been great for the Kohli-led side. They have five wins in seven games and are placed in third spot in the points table. They will be looking to push for a top-two finish at the end of the league phase.

Tim David can definitely help boost their chances in doing so. He is an ideal candidate for the 5-6-7 slots which belong to the finishers. He has been playing continuous cricket for the last few months and has been at the top of his game. Tim David has played in eight leagues over the last nine months.

Tim David made a name for himself in BBL 10

Tim David is coming off a great PSL and CPL

One of the most important things in T20 cricket is form. Tim David has been among the busiest cricketers due to his great form. He has been picked in one league after the other on the back of his brilliant performance. It all started with a great season in the tenth edition of the Big Bash league where he was representing the Hobart Hurricanes.

Tim David scored 279 runs at a strike-rate of 153.30 and an average of 31. A finisher with a strike-rate of 150 plus along with an average of over 30 is a blessing for any team. He smashed 14 sixes in the season to show his big hitting ability.

In PSL, he was representing the Lahore Qalandars. Not many were aware of his ability, but his performance spoke for itself. Tim David scored 180 runs in six innings in the PSL. He did this at a strike-rate of 166.7 and an average of 45. An average of 45 is terrific even for a top order batsman let alone a finisher. Seeing him in the PSL made it clear that Tim David was hear to stay.

By now most people knew about his ability and the pressure was on him to match the expectations. There was another challenge in front of him in the CPL. The wickets were pretty dead and batsmen were struggling to score runs. Coming in towards the end of the inning, the onus was on him to provide a strong finish. Tim David did so in style as he finished as the third highest run-getter in the CPL 2021.

Finishers normally do not appear in the top run-getters list and the fact that Tim David made it to the third spot speaks loads of his performance. Tim David scored 282 runs at a strike-rate of 146.11 and an average of 35.25. He hit a total of 19 maximums to showcase his big hitting prowess.

These performances are evidence of the ability Tim David possesses. RCB will be hoping that he can continue this good form and help them win their first title. It will be an important season for Tim David himself as well as the mega auction is scheduled to take place next year. A good few matches this time around could see his price sky rocket at auction next year.