RCB’s Caribbean star Romario Shepherd smashed a blistering 53* off 14 balls, sealing a last-over thriller against CSK and revealing how a calm approach and raw strength fuel his explosive finishing.
Bengaluru, May 4:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Romario Shepherd lit up the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday night with a breathtaking power-hitting masterclass, helping his team edge out Chennai Super Kings by two runs in a nail-biting IPL 2025 encounter.
Shepherd, who walked in late during RCB’s innings, blasted an unbeaten 53 off just 14 balls—the second-fastest fifty in IPL history—sending the stadium into a frenzy and CSK into disarray. The West Indian powerhouse smashed 33 runs off Khaleel Ahmed in the 19th over and added another 20 against death-over specialist Matheesha Pathirana to lift RCB to 213/5.
Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Shepherd revealed his mantra: “Kill them softly.” He said, “I wasn’t thinking of a score. I went ball by ball. Timmy (David) told me to relax and just swing through the line. My power comes from my base and the way I swing.”
Shepherd credited RCB’s turnaround this season to the focused coaching of Dinesh Karthik. “In the first few matches, we were underperforming with the bat. DK gave us structured drills, and today it paid off,” he shared.
Though his batting performance was electric, Shepherd admitted to an off day with the ball. He was taken for 18 runs in a single over by 17-year-old sensation Ayush Mhatre. “It didn’t work out with the ball today. But credit to Ngidi and Bhuvi for pulling us through,” he said.
RCB’s total was built on explosive knocks by Virat Kohli (62), Jacob Bethell (55), and Shepherd’s late assault. Despite spirited half-centuries from CSK’s Ayush Mhatre (94) and Ravindra Jadeja (77*), the visitors fell heartbreakingly short by two runs.
The win lifts RCB to the top of the IPL 2025 table with eight wins in 11 matches, while CSK remain anchored to the bottom.
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