BANGALORE (AFP) - Singapore all-rounder Tim David made headlines on Sunday (Feb 13) after he was signed by Mumbai Indians for 82.5 million Indian rupees (S$1.47 million) in this season's Indian Premier League (IPL) auction.
Last year, he became the first Singapore cricketer to play in the IPL when he represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in a match against Chennai Super Kings. He scored a solitary run. He most recently played for Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League.
The 25-year-old has competed in many leagues all over the globe, including the Australia professional Twenty20 competition the Big Bash League and the Caribbean Premier League. He also featured for the Southampton-based Southern Brave in The Hundred competition and for Surrey in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Singapore Cricket Association chief executive officer Saad Khan said: "Tim has immense potential and his growth is something we always foresaw. He will flourish even more, there is not an iota of doubt. He has showcased himself as a top-notch sportsman for Singapore.
"He's a tremendous ambassador for not only Singapore cricket but also a guiding light for the hopeful youth in Singapore for sports."
The Singapore-born Australian made his debut for the Republic in July 2019 and has represented the country in 14 T20 matches, scoring 558 runs at an average of 46.5. His father Rod also played cricket for Singapore and the family moved to Perth when David was two.
In an interview with The Straits Times last year, David credited Singapore with giving him opportunities and "invaluable experience facing a lot of spin bowling on very spin-friendly pitches".
He joins an IPL side who are one of the biggest in India. Mumbai have won the championship a record five times in 14 seasons and are featured in a Netflix sports documentary.
One of David's new teammates at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium will be England pacer Jofra Archer, signed for 80 million Indian rupees. Archer's international colleague Liam Livingstone became the IPL's most expensive foreign player this season as the Punjab Kings paid 115 million Indian rupees for the all-rounder.
South Africa's Chris Morris remains the most expensive IPL player ever, selling for 162.5 million Indian rupees last year.
The 10-team IPL begins in late March.
