The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans were pretty happy on November 30 as their former captain, Virat Kohli, smashed a fine century during the ODI contest against South Africa. But their joy knew no bounds when their lower-order batter, Tim David, smashed a fine knock of 98 runs in 30 balls during the Abu Dhabi T20 League final.

The Australian batter wreaked havoc in the final for the UAE Bulls against the Rahmanullah Gurbaz-led Aspin Stallions at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. James Vince retired hurt early in the innings, while another RCB player, Phil Salt, clubbed 18 runs in eight balls. Rovman Powell smashed 24 runs in 20 balls, but the eyes were on Tim David.

See Also: Watch: Virat Kohli makes special celebration for his 52nd ODI century during IND vs SA 1st ODI in Ranchi

The right-handed batter remained unbeaten on 98 runs in just 30 balls at a strike rate of 326.67, with the help of three boundaries and 12 sixes. This knock included five over boundaries in the final over of the series against Ashmead Nedd as the Bulls fired their way to 150/1 in 10 overs.

Watch: Tim David whacks 98* in 30 balls during Abu Dhabi T10 League final

In the penultimate over of the first innings, David reached his fifty with a six off just 20 deliveries. He hit Hafeez for two more sixes in that over before starting the final over with a massive six over long-off. He hit the next ball towards the deep mid-wicket region and smacked another ball over the long-off, deep mid-wicket, and deep extra cover for four successive sixes.

Tim David pressed skip to final ⏭️

A brutal unbeaten 57 off 18 to bulldoze the Bulls into the final 💥#AbuDhabiT10 pic.twitter.com/5zdSIy4EFH

— FanCode (@FanCode) November 30, 2025

The Stallions were never in the chase as they kept losing wickets and never got the runs on the board as expected of them. The highest individual score of the board belongs to their captain, Gurbaz, who smashed 18 runs in 15 balls with the help of three boundaries at a strike rate of 120.

Fazalhaq Farooqi, Junaid Siddique, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Qais Ahmed picked up one wicket each in the four overs as the Bulls won the contest by 80 runs to lift the title.

When India posted 167/8 in the first innings during the fourth T20I of the five-match series against Australia at the Carra Oval in Gold Coast, many thought it would be hard for the visitors to put pressure and defend the score against the home side. But once the ball got old, batting was incredibly tough to achieve proper timing with the bat, and that was what the Suryakumar Yadav-led side kept in mind. 

Matthew Short smashed Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy for two sixes inside the powerplay, besides two boundaries. But the question is whether the Indian spinners could inspire them to make a strong comeback. Just like the visitors’ middle order, Australia had the same fate as they were reduced to 70/3 in the 10th over.

See Also: [WATCH] Axar Patel draws first blood with Matthew Short's wicket during AUS vs IND 4th T20I

The only man who could turn the game in a blink of an eye was Tim David, who smashed Shivam Dube for a massive six out of the ground and was fresh from his blistering half-century in the previous game. But the bowler had the last laugh with the wicket of the right-handed batter.

Watch: Shivam Dube collects massive wicket of Tim David during AUS vs IND Gold Coast T20I

It was a slower ball from Dube towards David as the ball was late on pulling the short ball, and he got the ball high in the air. It surprised the veteran as it zipped through off the surface and got high on the bat to balloon it to the extra cover region.

- What a delivery that was to get the wicket of the big Man Tim David.

- Well bowled Shivam Dube 👏👏#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/o53pdFrpFO

— Criclytics (@Criclytics_1) November 6, 2025

After the wicket of David, Australia lost Josh Phillipe to the bowling of Arshdeep, while on the last ball of his spell, Varun Chakravarthy collected the massive wicket of Glenn Maxwell, who could have been a little smarter in the process. Australia found themselves 103/6 in 15 overs.

India, in the first innings, recorded 167/8 in their allotted 20 overs after Shubman Gill drilled 46 runs along with Abhishek Sharma’s 28 runs. Axar Patel’s cameo of unbeaten 21 runs in 11 balls was important to shoulder the visitors over the 160-run mark.

India set Australia a target of 168 runs to win the fourth T20I in Queensland, ending their innings at 167/8. Shubman Gill top-scored for India with 46 runs, while Australian bowlers Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa took three wickets each. With the series tied 1-1, both teams were eager to take the lead in the five-match series.

 Earlier, Suryakumar Yadav lost the toss to Mitchell Marsh, and India was asked to bat first. Opener Abhishek Sharma, known for quick scoring, failed to make an impact and was dismissed early. Despite the slow start, India’s middle order kept the scoreboard moving. The Australian fielders, especially Tim David, were kept busy as India looked to post a competitive total.

The match took an unexpected turn when Tim David became the center of controversy. The Australian cricketer took a brilliant running catch to dismiss Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav, but his celebration that followed left everyone shocked. What started as a great fielding moment quickly turned unpleasant when David’s obscene act was shown on camera, drawing criticism from fans.

Tim David’s Controversial Celebration Goes Viral

Tim David was already involved in the field, having taken one catch earlier. His second came when Xavier Bartlett bowled a slower delivery that Suryakumar Yadav mistimed. The ball flew toward mid-wicket, and David ran to his left to complete the catch near the boundary. Suryakumar departed after scoring 20 runs off 10 balls.

Watch the video here

What is this celebration from Tim David😭 pic.twitter.com/8lhMMTZMi4

— Haydos🛡️ (@GovindIstOdraza) November 6, 2025

After catching the ball, David celebrated with an obscene gesture, simulating the licking of the ball in front of the crowd. The act seemed disrespectful and uncalled for; it went viral in no time on the internet. Fans termed his act "disgusting" and "unsportsmanlike." Even as Australia started chasing 168, the discussion was centered around David's weird celebration, which overshadowed the pulsating India vs Australia contest.

For India to stay in contention of winning the five-match T20I series against Australia, they needed to earn success in the third game of the series at the Canarra Oval in Gold Coast with the series staying on a leveled 1-1 mark. The Blue Brigade, however, came into the clash with full confidence from their last win in Hobart.

It was a decent opening partnership of 56 runs between Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. But in a baffling decision, the management decided to send Shivam Dube at number three, who, despite his one monster six and boundary, could get only 22 runs in 18 balls before falling to Adam Zampa.

See Also: [WATCH] "More than just a game..."- PM Narendra Modi congratulates India's women's World Cup 2025 winning team

Suryakumar Yadav, the Indian captain, who addressed the surface as the subcontinental, got dismissed for 20 runs in 10 balls. On the first ball of the 16th over, the right-handed batter looked to swing his willow hard and got a lot of height but not so much distance. Tim David held his nerve at the fence and grabbed a comfortable catch to send the veteran back in the shades.

Watch: Tim David’s terrific catch dismisses Suryakumar Yadav for 20 in AUS vs IND 4th T20I

Suryakumar Yadav smashed Adam Zampa for two successive sixes in the 13th over. On the third ball, he found the gap in the deep region as the sweep shot gave him six runs. On the following delivery, he got a great crack in the middle of the bat as Sky reached out to it and nailed the slog sweep for a fine six.

What's going on here Tim? 😂 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/3L7hx8AWK3

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 6, 2025

Apart from him, opener Shubman Gill smashed a decent knock of 46 runs in 39 balls with the help of three boundaries and a six. His partner in the opening position cracked 28 runs. But India’s middle order struggled so much as Nathan Ellis ended with 3/21 in four overs.

Axar Patel started the final over against Marcus Stoinis with a six and a boundary to shoulder the side over the 160-run mark. That would give India some chance to defend against the home batters. 

End of a cracking innings. Shivam Dube got the big fish in the net. Tim David is gone after an entertaining 74-run innings off 38 balls during Australia vs. India 3rd T20I (AUS vs. IND 3rd T20I) of the 5-match series. Near the boundary line, Tilak Varma took a stunning catch to end the stormy batting of Tim David. 

The Australian batter was at his peak against the Indian bowling attack at the Ninja stadium. The right-handed batter was toying with the bowlers. With his strong arms, David was smashing boundaries and over-boundaries for fun. He reached the half-century mark with ease. But India captain Suryakumar Yadav had the plan to clear him from the crease. 

Yadav introduced a combination of Shivam Dube, a pace bowling all-rounder, and a spinner from the other end. Varun Chakravarthy instantly proved his mettle by taking two wickets in two balls. David, who was on the other end of the wicket, could only see his teammates walking back to the dugout.

Read More: WATCH: Indian Women's Cricket Team visits Siddhivinayak Temple ahead of IND-W vs SA-W Women's World Cup 2025 Final

Tilak Varma takes a spectacular catch to dismiss Tim David

Before that successful over of Chakravarthy, David looked lethal against Dube, smashing multiple big shots against the medium pacer. Dube was continuously bowling well off the off stump, and David was hitting those balls for fun. It was a trap from Team India, which later worked. 

In the delivery David got out and there was also an outside delivery from Shivam Dube. This time, the batter did not make the right connection and ended up caught in Varma's safe pair of hands. The catch was not easy to execute. The ball was travelling over the long-off corridor when Tilak jumped timely after covering some ground and gathered the ball precisely right in front of the boundary rope. David had to go. 

Watch the catch here

OUT!

That's the one India wanted. Tim David is out for 74!#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/mjG6qLeL2s

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) November 2, 2025

Australia came into the third T20I of the five-match series against India at the Ninja Stadium in Hobart with a 1-0 lead and needed one more victory to take an undefeated lead. But they didn’t get a good start with the bat, having lost the toss to the visiting captain, Suryakumar Yadav. The home side lost both Travis Head and Josh Inglis early in the innings. 

Their captain, Mitchell Marsh, struggled to find a good rhythm and timing with the bat before Tim David showed his power. The latter has enjoyed a great T20 record at the venue with a strike rate of over 170 in 26 T20 innings, and he used his power brilliantly during the knock.

See Also: [WATCH] Arshdeep Singh dismisses Travis Head for 6 during AUS vs IND 3rd T20I in Hobart

On the fifth ball of the seventh over against India’s left-arm spinner, Axar Patel, the right-handed batter went forward and lofted the shot over the shade of the stadium. It went out of the ground with the strong elevation as Axar, for a moment, thought of hiding his face. It was a 129m six from the batter.

Watch: Tim David smashed monster six of 129m against Axar Patel during AUS vs IND 3rd T20I

On the third ball of the same over, David sliced the spinner over the sweeper cover for a huge six. He opened the bat face and hit it to the short boundary with the breeze. When India introduced Shivam Dube into the attack, David took his beast mode and clubbed three boundaries to celebrate his fifty in just 23 balls. It was the second-fastest T20I fifty from an Australian batter against India by balls.

What a hand power man 130M six by Tim David 🥵🥵 pic.twitter.com/0N9PRABZqv

— Raf! (@MBVKtweets) November 2, 2025

He even showed his brutal force against Varun Chakravarthy. He came down the track and took the ball on a half-volley to loft it with the wind for a six. Two balls later, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter got forward and smashed the ball flat over the fence for the same result.

He was finally dismissed by Dube for 74 runs in 38 balls, riding on eight boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of nearly 200. Australia pushed their way to 118/5 in 13 overs and looked good to cross the 180-mark in their allotted 20 overs.

Rain washed out the second game, leaving the final clash as a straight chance for New Zealand to level the series. The series began poorly for New Zealand, who failed to defend 182 in the first T20I as Australia wrapped up the target inside 16.3 overs while losing just four wickets

On the other hand, Mitchell Marsh delivered a captain’s innings to open the Chappell-Hadlee T20I series, blasting 85 off 43 deliveries to put Australia firmly on top. Chasing 182, the target never looked out of reach as others around him chipped away to ease the pressure.

NZ vs AUS Match Details

Date: 4th October, 2025

Time: 11:45 AM IST

Venue: Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui 

Live Streaming: Fancode  

NZ vs AUS Weather & Pitch Report 

Whether Report -

There are no signs of any rain interruptions throughout the game. It is pleasant conditions and perfect throughout the game.

Pitch Report -

• Avg 1st innings score: 185-190

• The chasing team has an advantage

Also Read: NZ vs AUS Dream11 Prediction 3rd T20I match Fantasy Cricket Tips, Probable Playing XI

Top Batters to Watch in NZ vs AUS

• Tim Robinson (NZ) - 106 runs in this Series 

• Mitchell Marsh (AUS) - 94 runs in this Series 

• Daryl Mitchell (NZ) – 34 runs in this Series 

Top Bowler to Watch in NZ vs AUS

• Ben Dwarshuis (AUS) - 2 wickets in this Series 

• Matt Henry (NZ) - 2 wickets in this Series 

• Matthew Short (AUS) - 1 wicket in this Series 

NZ vs AUS Recent Form

NZ vs AUS Today Match Prediction Scenarios

Scenario 1- If AUS bats first

• First Innings score prediction- AUS is expected to score 200-210 runs

• Result prediction- AUS will win the match by 15-20 Runs 

Scenario 2- If NZ bats first

• First Innings score prediction- NZ is expected to score 180-190 runs.

• Result prediction- AUS will win the match by 5 wickets 

NZ vs AUS Predicted Playing XI

New Zealand (NZ) Playing XI 

Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway, Tim Robinson, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.

Australia (AUS) Playing XI

Mitchell Marsh (c), Travis Head, Matthew Short, Tim David, Alex Carey (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Owen, Ben Dwarshuis, Xavier Bartlett, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

NZ vs AUS Complete Squad

New Zealand - 

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Bevon Jacobs, Kyle Jamieson, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi

Australia -

Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

NZ vs AUS Today Match Prediction - Who Will Win Today?

Australia to win

We predict that Australia will win the 3rd T20I match. The likes of Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Ben Dwarshuis will be key players to watch out for.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors have begun their Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 campaign on a high note, winning both of their opening matches in convincing style. The team looks dominant in all areas, under the leadership of seasoned Imran Tahir, and has early momentum in the tournament. They face the Saint Lucia Kings in Match 13 at St Lucia. There is extra motivation for this game as it was the Kings that stood in the way of winning their second CPL title last season. Guyana will want to get one back and build on their winning streak.

See Also: Most runs by Indian batters in Test Wins

Conversely, the Saint Lucia Kings have had trouble finding their rhythm in this campaign. They have one victory out of four total games played, with two matches washed out and one lost. Under the leadership of David Wiese, they are in second last place on the points table, and as defending champions, they must turn things around. A win against the form Warriors could rekindle their season, and in hopes, set them confidently in motion for their title defence.

Saint Lucia Kings vs Guyana Amazon Warriors, Match 13: Live Streaming Details

Saint Lucia Kings vs Guyana Amazon Warriors, Match 13: Probable Playing XI

St Lucia Kings Playing XI 

Johnson Charles, Tim Seifert (WK), Aukeem Auguste, Roston Chase, Tim David, Delano Potgieter, David Wiese (C), Alzarri Joseph, Keon Gaston, Kharry Pierre, Tabraiz Shamsi

Guyana Amazon Warriors Playing XI

Ben McDermott, Kevlon Anderson, Shai Hope (WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Moeen Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Dwaine Pretorius, Gudakesh Motie, Imran Tahir (C), Shamar Joseph

The former Indian spin all-rounder, Ravichandran Ashwin, has dropped a bombshell ahead of the mini auction of the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he informed that a few decision-makers of the IPL franchise ignored his suggestion of going for the aggressive Australia batter, Tim David, during the las year’s mega auction of the league.

Tim David, who has scored 83 and 50 during the ongoing home T20I series against South Africa, nailed 187 runs for the title-winning side, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, in nine innings at an average of 62.33 and a strike rate of 185.14 with the best score of an unbeaten 50 runs. This was a strange decision from the Mumbai Indians, who left him even after scoring 241 runs at 158.55 in 2024.

See Also: Joe Root eyes to register this massive Ashes 2025/26 record in Australia

“I shouldn't say this, but I told the decision makers of a few IPL teams to pick him before the last auction. They all said, 'No, his game has dropped off drastically.” Ravichandran Ashwin expressed the advice during the new episode on his YouTube channel.

Ravichandran Ashwin leaks story of IPL franchises ignoring his suggestion

One of the crazy parts for the Australian batter was his impressive skills of making an impact, coming late in the batting order and still contributing with the vital runs on several occasions. For Australia, he holds a key role of showing his power-hitting skills late in the batting order. Ashwin also sheds light on how the tall batters will earn more success in the shortest format.

“I believe the future of T20 cricket is going to be having tall batters with long levers and a strong build. They are going to rule the roost if there are no changes brought to the wide line.” The Tamil Nadu spin all-rounder explained.

David has overall smashed 1466 runs in 52 innings of the T20Is at an average of 37.58 and a strike rate of nearly 170, with the help of eight half-centuries and a century. The unbeaten 102-run knock came last month against the West Indies in the Caribbean. He could push himself for the ODIs, where he has featured in four innings at an average of 11.25 for 44 runs at the best score of 35.

After some multiple exciting test series, teams started to confront each other in the T20I format. Australia, South Africa, the West Indies, Bangladesh, and Pakistan are some of the notable nations to play T20Is in the recent past. The recent Twenty20 matches have influenced the latest updates of ICC T20I batters rankings. Because of the ongoing T20I series between Australia and South Africa, some of their players got the opportunity to improve their positions in the list. While some other players, who are not related to the T20I series involving these two nations, lose their spots. But there are some exceptions too. Since February 2025, India has not participated in a single T20I match; still, Abhishek Sharma, based on his last performances, remained on top of the points table, while Tilak Varma moved to 2nd place with 804 points. Through this article we'll derive the best 5 T20I batters with the help of recent points developments. 

List of 5 batters in T20Is:

Tilak Varma:

As the International Cricket Council (ICC) promoted the young batter to 2nd place of the tally, he should be in the list. Varma, 22 years old, played 25 matches for Team India and scored 749 runs to etch a brilliant average of 49.93, the second-best average of T20Is, with a highest individual score of an unbeaten 120. And he's among the top 5 T20I batters in the world to score hundreds in consecutive matches in the format.

Phil Salt:

Like Varma, Phil Salt also played his last T20I back in February this year but moved from 4th place to the 3rd spot of the ICC T20I rankings. In his last T20I match, which was against India, the opener scored an inspiring 55 runs at Wankhede. For England, the attacking batter played 43 T20Is to score a total of 1193 runs at an average of 34.08.

Tim David:

The big man from Australia has moved forward by 6 steps and moved into the top 10 of the ICC T20I Rankings for the batters. The all-rounder, who's mostly known for his power-hitting abilities, rescued team Australia multiple times from trouble. David mostly came to bat at number 5 or lower. Being a lower-order batter, he often got a very limited number of balls to prove himself. For Australia, the 29-year-old cricketer played brilliantly against Australia and the West Indies. Against Australia, he scored 83 and 50 in Darwin. And in a match against the West Indies, the batter scored a century as well. 

Cameroon Green:

Another cricketer from Australia who has made progress in the rankings. Moving up by 6 spots, Green is currently at number 17. The 26-year-old all-rounder played a pivotal role for the Australia cricket team during the series against the West Indies and against South Africa too. At Basseterre, against WI, he scored an unbeaten 55. In 20 T20Is for the Aussies, Green scored 512 runs at an average of 34.13. 

Dewald Brevis:

From outside the top 100 to 21st, the young South African batter has gained massively. That phenomenal 125-run innings from his blade helped South Africa to square the three-match series against the Aussies at 1-1. It was the highest T20I score by any South African men's batter and the highest ever against Australia in what was Brevis' ninth T20I appearance for his country.