Bengaluru: Romario Shepherd of Royal Challengers Bengaluru made a sensational impact on Saturday by scoring a half-century off just 14 deliveries against Chennai Super Kings, the joint second-fastest in Indian Premier League (IPL) history.
Shepherd’s blistering knock took the IPL 2025 season by storm, eclipsing the previous record set by Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who had scored a 17-ball half-century for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans.
Shepherd’s rapid-fire fifty was the highlight of a massive total of 213 runs for RCB against Chennai Super Kings at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The West Indies all-rounder was simply unstoppable in the final two overs, where he, alongside his teammates, amassed 54 runs. His power-hitting was on full display, hammering four boundaries and six sixes in an explosive finish to the innings.
RCB’s innings was built on a solid foundation from the openers, but it was Shepherd’s late surge that truly took them to an intimidating total. His arrival at the crease coincided with the closing stages of the innings, and he wasted no time in making an impact. With his swashbuckling approach, he kept the CSK bowlers on the back foot, taking them for clean, brutal strikes over the boundary.
The 14-ball fifty puts Shepherd in an elite group of players in IPL history, matching the mark set by KL Rahul in 2018 and Pat Cummins in 2022. However, it’s the explosive nature of Shepherd’s innings that makes it stand out as the fastest of the 2025 season. RCB’s total of 213, powered by Shepherd’s fireworks, seemed almost unassailable as they set a challenging target for the Super Kings.
(IANS)
