Why Australia's million-dollar man has been benched

Million-dollar recruit Tim David is shaping as one of the most expensive benchwarmers in Indian Premier League history.

Despite splashing A$1.53m on the Australian middle-order power hitter in February's player auction, the Mumbai Indians have picked David in only two of their seven matches so far in this IPL season, with the right-hander posting scores of 12 and one before he was dropped for their third match of the tournament.

After seven straight defeats, the worst start to an IPL season ever, Mumbai head coach Mahela Jayawardena has flagged they will look to give young players opportunities during the second half of the tournament.

But it's not clear if the Hobart Hurricanes right-hander will be one of them.

Image Id: 49AA95B26C9D4EE9BF860217EEABD9C8 Image Caption: David has played just two games for the winless Mumbai // BCCI-Sportzpics

With West Indies superstar Kieron Pollard a mainstay of the Mumbai XI and at least two international fast bowlers, a choice of Australians Daniel Sams and Riley Meredith as well as Englishman Tymal Mills, occupying three of Mumbai's four overseas spots, it appears teenage prodigy Dewald Brevis is keeping David out of the side.

The South African No.3, who was picked up for about a third (A$536,337) of what David cost at the auction, has hit 121 runs at a strike rate of 161 in five matches, with scores of 49 (25) and 31 (13).

But coming off a red-hot Pakistan Super League tournament in February where he amassed 278 runs at a blistering strike rate of 194, David's absence has left many fans and former players scratching their heads.

"They paid a lot of money for him, and he's just sat on that golden seat in the dugout rather than earning his keep in the middle," former England spinner Graeme Swann said this week.

"I want to see him play and I think a lot of other people will be questioning why he's not playing. But you think surely he's got to come back into it at some point."

Jayawardena said any changes to his side's line-up would depend on their opposition.

"We've got a young group, which we are giving a few opportunities … to see if something sparks for us," he said.

"At the same time, we need to keep the core going as well, that's important. It all depends on how we set ourselves up tactically against the opposition and conditions."

After scoring just four his first match of the campaign, David Warner hit three straight half centuries for the Ricky Ponting-coached Delhi Capitals, forming a formidable opening partnership with Prithvi Shaw, with the duo notching four straight 50-plus partnerships.

Warner's 219 runs at a strike rate of 157.55 has taken him to fourth on the all-time IPL run-scorers list – including 57 scores of 50 or more – and affirmed his status as one of the greats in the 15-year history of the competition.

Josh Hazlewood has continued his rise as a T20 force, taking eight wickets in just 12 overs for his new franchise, Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In his three games so far this season, Hazlewood has instantly shown the form that saw him capture 11 wickets in nine matches during last year's edition and be a key pillar of Australia's T20 World Cup success in November.

His unrelenting accuracy and subtle variations have him bowling at an economy rate of 7.16 and his 4-25 was crucial in earning RCB victory over the Lucknow Super Giants.

Image Id: E72BBDAEC4A74DC586FA7DFE826F507E Image Caption: Hazlewood has continued his red-hot T20 form // BCCI-Sportzpics

Despite smashing the fastest T20 half century ever by an Australian to get his Kolkata Knight Riders home against Mumbai, Australia's Test skipper Pat Cummins has endured a torrid run with the ball, conceding a whopping 12 runs an over in his four matches so far.

His four wickets from 15.5 overs have cost 190 runs, with figures of 2-49 (4), 0-51 (4), 1-40 (3.5) and 1-50 (4), and he was belted by Jos Buttler in his last outing as the English opener stormed to a 61-ball 103.

His Kolkata teammate and fellow national captain, Aaron Finch, rediscovered his best form with a thumping 28-ball 58 that included nine fours and two sixes in the Knight Riders' most recent outing as they tried in vain to chase down Rajasthan's 5-217.

Finch made seven in his only other match of the tournament, which followed his 55 in the sole T20 of the recent Pakistan tour.

Alongside Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell has been crucial in helping RCB sit equal top of the table, reaching double figures in three of his four matches with a highest score of 55 and an extraordinary strike rate of 193.

His 11-ball 23 in their win against Lucknow was vital in kick-starting Bangalore's innings after two early wickets, while he took the key scalp of Super Giants' top scorer Krunal Pandya for 42.

Marcus Stoinis has been solid in a lower-order finishing role for Lucknow, who are hoping to recreate his success for Australia at the T20 World Cup.

The allrounder was poised to lead his side to victory in their last match against RCB until he was outfoxed by Hazlewood in the penultimate over when the Super Giants needed 34 for victory.

Stoinis has hit 72 runs with a top score of 38 not out and a strike rate of 175 in his three matches, while also claiming a solitary wicket in his three overs.

Australia's T20 wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has struggled to recreate his match-winning form at international level for the Gujarat Titans, scoring 68 runs in five outings at a strike rate of just 107.

Playing as an opener, Wade's top score of 30 came from 29 balls and he was left out of their last match against Chennai on April 17.

Sydney Thunder star Daniel Sams, who was belted for 35 runs in an over by Cummins during his record-breaking fifty, bounced back with 4-30 in Mumbai's last start against Chennai. The left-armer has taken five wickets in his four matches but they've come at a costly 11.26 runs per over.

Image Id: CD25A82861F84654BF7C54A4C3BA997F Image Caption: Daniel Sams picked up 4-30 against Chennai // BCCI-Sportzpics

Mumbai teammate Riley Meredith made his first appearance of the tournament in that loss to the Super Kings after recovering from a side strain suffered in the KFC BBL. He provided a tidy return of 1-25 from four overs, which included the fastest delivery of the match of 145.4kph.

Mitchell Marsh has managed just one match for the Delhi Capitals after sustaining a hip flexor injury while training during the Australia's limited-overs tour of Pakistan, before being hospitalised with COVID-19 earlier this week.

In his sole appearance against RCB on April 16, which was his first competitive match since the KFC BBL final, he made 14 off 24 balls at No.3 and didn't bowl.

Tasmanian speedster Nathan Ellis registered 0-15 (2) and made a second-ball duck in his first appearance of the campaign on Wednesday for the Punjab Kings, while Western Australian right-armer Andrew Tye, who was a late replacement player for England's Mark Wood, has taken two wickets at an economy rate of 9.72 in three appearances for Lucknow.

Tye's state teammate Jason Behrendorff hasn't yet featured in RCB's XI, while Rajasthan Royals recruit Nathan Coulter-Nile played the opening match of the campaign, conceding 48 runs from his three overs and also suffering a side strain that ruled out of the rest of the tournament.

The 2022 Indian Premier League will be broadcast live in Australia on Fox Sports and live streamed on Kayo

Australians in IPL 2022

Delhi Capitals: Mitchell Marsh, David Warner

Gujarat Titans: Matthew Wade

Kolkata Knight Riders: Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch

Lucknow Super Giants: Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

Mumbai Indians: Tim David, Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith

Punjab Kings: Nathan Ellis

Rajasthan Royals: Nathan Coulter-Nile

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood, Jason Behrendorff