Solid contributions from Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell set Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on course before a late onslaught from Romario Shepherd propelled them to 213 for 5 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The pitch favoured the batsmen, allowing for hit-through-the-line strokes, making for an action-packed encounter.
Shepherd, favoured over Liam Livingstone once more, thrashed a sensational 14-ball fifty, just shy of Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record (13 balls) in the IPL. Out of the 14 deliveries Shepherd faced, ten were dispatched to or over the boundary. His milestone was achieved with a grand six into the top tier from Matheesha Pathirana’s final ball of the innings.
Joining the crease at 157 for 5 in the 18th over, Shepherd targeted Khaleel Ahmed in the 19th over, blasting four sixes and two boundaries, which left Ahmed with figures of 3-0-65-0. Pathirana, who had executed good control earlier in the inning, was unable to contain the onslaught in the final over, conceding two fours and two sixes.
This robust finish from Shepherd seemed unlikely earlier, as CSK’s overseas attack tightened the grips during the middle overs, with Pathirana reviving CSK’s chances. Despite having his bowling action adjustments under the microscope this season, Pathirana’s variation and yorker execution were on point until Shepherd’s counter-attack.
Initially, Pathirana set the tone by dismissing Bethell, who was caught spectacularly by Dewald Brevis for 55 from his debut innings of 33 balls. However, this opportunity might have arrived sooner; Bethell, on 27, was dropped due to a colliding incident between Pathirana and Ravindra Jadeja.
Bethell’s approach brought up his maiden IPL half-century, succeeding in only his second innings, achieved off 28 balls. Kohli, too, reached his fifty briskly, taking just 29 deliveries, but a slower bouncer from Sam Curran ended his spell at 62.
RCB’s score of 71 without loss in the powerplay marked their highest at home this season. The middle overs saw Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, and Curran slow RCB’s momentum, but Shepherd’s explosive finish tilted the game heavily in RCB’s favour.
CSK continue to grapple with chasing hefty totals, as demonstrated by their seven-year struggle to chase down targets exceeding 180 runs successfully.
