CSK vs RCB: Tim David becomes 1st Singapore cricketer to make IPL debut

Tim David on Friday also become the first ever cricketer to play an IPL match before his national team getting Test or ODI status. 

The 6 feet 5 inch tall David, who is of Australian descent brings with him a novelty factor in Virat Kohli's team. The 25-year-old has represented Singapore in 14 T20Is, scoring 558 runs at an average of 46.50. He scored 279 runs at a strike-rate of 153.29 for the Hobart Hurricanes in the 2020/21 Big Bash League. He was recently in England, scoring two centuries and a half-century in his last four matches in Surrey’s run to the semi-final in the Royal London One-day Cup. Moreover, in the recently-concluded Carribean Premier League (CPL) 2021, the right-hand batsman finished as the third highest run-getter. He scored 282 runs at an strike rate of 146.11 and average of 35.25. 

David was included in the playing eleven of RCB's clash against MS Dhoni's CSK in place of Kyle Jamieson. 

"Kyle Jamieson misses out and Tim David replaces him. He makes his debut for RCB, he's a power player in the lower middle-order, plays spin well and he's a strong lad. He can hit those big ones," Virat Kohli said at the toss. 

Notably, Sharjah Cricket Ground, which has flatter surfaces and smaller boundaries, is famous for aiding hard-hitting batsmen. 

Reactiing to Tim David's inclusion in the RCB squad, former England cricketer Pietersen quipped that the the ground was not big enough for "larger than" life David. 

CSK have asked RCB to bat first after winning the toss.