Singapore-Australian all-rounder Tim David earns biggest IPL auction deal of any Aussie

Nobody wanted Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne or Aaron Finch — but the Indian Premier League went gaga for the unsung Tim David, who's suddenly become Australian cricket's biggest IPL earner.

The big-hitting West Australian David, who's so far earned his international stripes for his birthplace of Singapore and not the country where he was raised, was snapped up for $1.53 million by the powerhouse Mumbai Indians franchise in Sunday's mega-auction.

That was more than any of the other four established Australian stars in the millionaires' league had managed to attract on the auction's first day on Saturday.

Josh Hazlewood had gone for $1.44 million to Royal Challengers Bangalore, Aussie captain Pat Cummins $1.35 million to Kolkata Knight Riders, and Mitch Marsh $1.2 million and David Warner $1.16 million, both to Delhi Capitals.

Meanwhile, other much more high-profile names like Smith, Labuschagne, Finch, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and BBL sensation Ben McDermott didn't even land a single offer.

Instead, it was imposing and rapidly rising 25-year-old Hobart Hurricanes' hitter David, with his globe-trotting «have bat, will travel» career, who had five franchises grappling for his signature after he'd been put on the market for the most modest $75,000.

David, who's grown up in Perth since he was very young, is a man much in demand in T20 leagues around the globe and is currently wowing them in the Pakistan Super League with Multan Sultans before he moves on to Lancashire Lightning in the English county summer.

He did play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in last season's IPL but only got one game — but Mumbai will doubtless be expecting rather more now they've made him their highest-ever overseas earner.

«We've been tracking Tim and