Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 3: In one of the most explosive finishes of IPL 2025, Romario Shepherd lit up the M Chinnaswamy Stadium with a blistering 14-ball half-century, powering Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a formidable 213/5 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Saturday.
Shepherd’s onslaught featuring four fours and six sixes equalled the second-fastest fifty in IPL history, matching the likes of Pat Cummins and KL Rahul, and only behind Yashasvi Jaiswal’s 13-ball blitz.
The West Indian all-rounder turned the game in the 19th over, hammering Khaleel Ahmed for 33 runs, including a no-ball six over extra cover. His fireworks came just in time, as RCB had stumbled in the middle overs following the dismissals of Kohli, Padikkal, and Jitesh Sharma.
RCB had earlier started strongly after being put in to bat. Debutant Jacob Bethell and Virat Kohli raced to 71/0 in the powerplay RCB’s best home start this season. Bethell, fearless on debut, scored a fluent 55 off 28 balls with eight boundaries and two sixes, becoming the third-youngest overseas player to notch an IPL fifty.
Kohli, cheered on by the home crowd, played a trademark anchor-aggressor role, notching up his 62nd IPL half-century, equalling David Warner’s record. His 50 also took him past 500 runs this season, securing him the Orange Cap. With over 1,150 career runs against CSK, Kohli now holds the record for most runs by a player against a single IPL franchise.
After Kohli’s dismissal to Sam Curran, RCB lost momentum, with only 33 runs scored between overs 13 to 17, as CSK’s Matheesha Pathirana and Curran tightened the screws. Pathirana, who leads the death-over wickets tally this season, picked 3/63, keeping RCB in check – until Shepherd erupted.
Shepherd’s late blitz left CSK shell-shocked. His strike rate crossed 300, making even Tim David’s season-best look modest. Thanks to Shepherd, Kohli, and Bethell, RCB posted their highest home total this season.
Brief Scores:
RCB 213/5 in 20 overs (Kohli 62, Bethell 55, Shepherd 53*; Pathirana 3-63, Noor Ahmad 1-26) vs CSK