Ashwin Says IPL Teams Ignored His Tim David Tip, RCB Got Him Cheap

Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin revealed that he had advised several IPL franchises to pick Australian power-hitter Tim David ahead of the mega auction, but they turned him down. David, released by Mumbai Indians, was eventually signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru for just ₹3 crore after Sunrisers Hyderabad backed out early.
Ashwin praised RCB’s decision, calling it a “steal deal” as David went on to score 187 runs at an average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 185.15 in IPL 2025. The Aussie star has also been in superb international form, smashing 265 runs in 5 matches at a strike rate of 212.00, including his maiden T20I century.