Tim David will be Australia's 'X-factor' in T20 World Cup, reckons Pat Cummins

In less than a month the T20 World Cup gets underway in Australia, and the hosts, who are also the defending champions, will look to retain the title in front of local supporters. The team is filled with immense talent in both the departments, so marking them as one of the favourites shouldn't come as a surprise.

Ahead of the World Cup, which starts in less than a month, the team will lock horns in a three-match T20I series against India, followed by a home series against West Indies and England, a perfect indicator to help them keep their preparations on track for the mega event.

The team has already arrived in India for the T20Is, which starts in Mohali on Tuesday. Ahead of the series opener experienced pacer Pat Cummins spoke about Australia's ambitions for the World Cup, and revealed the "X-factor" in their squad.

"It's great to see Tim David get his chance," Cummins was quoted saying in a Reuters report on Sunday. Cummins continued: "He's been right up there with the best in the world. Batting in the middle order of T20 cricket is a really tough spot. You see most of the run scorers opening, or batting top of the order. It's really hard to be consistent coming in when there's spin bowlers or at the end of the innings. I think he's been fantastic.

"If he gets his chance, hopefully he can continue doing what he's been doing in the domestic leagues around the world. I think he's an X-factor. He just goes about it slightly differently so look forward to it."

Singapore-born Tim David is likely to make debut in Australian colours during the three-match series in India. T20 specialist David, who was raised in Western Australia, burst into the spotlight in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) last season and has become property as a hard-hitting finisher in global leagues. His strike-rate was 194.41 in the previous edition at PSL, where he accumulated a staggering 278 runs from 11 encounters.

He also played some powerful knocks representing Mumbai Indians in the previous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In India his strike-rate was even better. He accumulated 186 runs from 8 matches at a strike-rate of 216.27.

David, 26, played 14 T20Is for Singapore. With the team missing the services of all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Marcus Stoinis through injuries, David is expected to fill in the absence.