IPL 2022: Mumbai Indians' Tim David seeks Rohit Sharma, Jayawardene help to master Indian conditions

Pune, April 5: Tim David has big shoes to fill at five-time IPL champions Mumbai Indians. But to meet that challenge, David has got several things going for him too.

He’s himself got a large footprint – metaphorically and literally in T20 cricket — and got a group that has cricket’s sharpest minds, and in Kieron Pollard he’s got someone who has been there, done it all, and been mightily successful at it for more than a decade.

“I think Polly’s played over 10 years in the IPL, so there’s a lot of experience there,” David told media persons on the eve Mumbai Indians’ match against Kolkata Knight Riders.

“I think that happens over time naturally. You can’t just get all of it like, on a notebook straightaway. It just happens with different questions here or there, different situations, different experiences at training and trying to run some ideas past him.

“Just get little bits here and there and hopefully, I can gain some of those experiences from him, and maybe some that I can try and use in a game or that I can add to my game that can be successful,” he said.

For David, plenty of learning has come from captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Mahela Jayawardene’s inputs too.

Both Rohit and Jayawardene are widely acknowledged as among the best thinkers of the game, and their advice to David has been more about the finer aspects, such as in-game tactics and maximizing David’s own skill-sets.

“He has been a fun captain,” David said of Rohit. “I’ve only played two games with him, so just getting used to playing with him. Getting used to playing with lots of guys in the team, but we’ll find our feet and start playing better as a team as the tournament goes on.

“But it’s been good fun so far. (The advice) has been just about how to be able to find my skills best in the game and to help the team.

“Mahela has been good. Again the same, just about preparing to play in Indian conditions. Learning that comes up in the IPL with different players, and how my skills can be best suited to play in games.”

Some of the little bits David has picked up are to do with tackling Indian pitches. With his imposing height, long reach, and incredible power, David has found T20 success across a variety of conditions and tournaments, but the IPL is the cream of the lot.

“Our first two games were on different grounds, so each ground has different characteristics of the pitch. Having no experience playing there before, it’s something to get used to,” David explained.

“But, like I said, there’s no time in the IPL to take three or four games to try and get into the tournament. It’s been a good experience so far. I’ve learned from the games so far and I’m sure all the guys have. I’m looking forward to having some good performances coming up.

Next up for Mumbai Indians are Kolkata Knight Riders. “They’re a strong side, every team is strong in the IPL,” David said.

“We will do our analysis on the players and on the team. But I think it’s about sticking to our processes most importantly. If we play our best game, then we’ve got to believe that’s capable of winning.”

What marks IPL out from the various leagues David has taken part in?

“I think the depth of talent in Indian cricket. There are great players right throughout all the teams, and then obviously some really high quality overseas players,” he pointed out.

“The IPL’s obviously got the ticket as being the biggest T20 franchise competition, and I think it’s just that every team has a lot of bases covered. There’s a lot of high-quality players and you’re going to get tested, so you’ve got to be at your best.”

David’s goals from his first full season with the most successful team in the world’s best franchise T20 leagues are clear-cut.

“First of all try and be a better player at the end of the tournament than I was when I got here. I’ve tried to make the most of the environment that MI has provided.

“There’s been some awesome opportunities to learn already. And obviously, most importantly, on the field it’s to try and put in some performances that can really help the team win some games,” added David.

Mumbai Indians are five-time champions, the most successful side in the 15-year history of the IPL, but they have made a horror start to the IPL 2022 losing two matches in a row.

While they are no alien to slow starts in the IPL, the MI would do well to regain some of the lost ground very quickly and effect a turnaround, as the task will be much tougher as the tournament goes deeper.

It may be recalled that the MI had missed the play-offs in the IPL 2021, and they would not want an encore.