After a disturbing performance against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in M. Chinnaswamy, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are now up against the same opponent, Punjab Kings, in their home ground, which is now Mullanpur Stadium. Unlike their home matches, RCB has achieved a very good winning record in their away games. To enhance their out-of-home winning ratio and to get back on the winning ways, Bengaluru has decided to play Romario Shepherd in place of Liam Livingstone. But why is the team management showing trust in the Caribbean over the T20 specialist Livingstone? 

Livingstone, from the beginning of the IPL 2025, is an integral part of the red and black squad, playing 7 matches so far but barely able to justify his name. 

The English batter is mostly known for his power-hitting skills, but for RCB, he was far away from his peak performance. In 6 innings, the right-handed batter welcomed only 87 runs in total, including a 54-run inning, 17.40 on average. Even with the ball in hand, Liam underperformed—2 wickets in 5 innings.

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Royal Challengers Bengaluru needs someone on the field who can make some quick runs and support the bowling dependent as well. So, they choose to go with Romario Shepherd. The West Indian all-rounder has played plenty of cricket in subcontinent conditions, especially in franchise cricket. 

Romario's performance

The bowling all-rounder had a decent outing with Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2024, played a crucial unbeaten 39-run innings, and, overall, averaged 28.50 with MI, powered by an exceptional strike rate of 271.42. In the Caribbean Premier League, the 30-year-old all-rounder batted with a 161.04 strike rate, and in the Bangladesh Premier League, he recorded a 152.54 strike rate as a batter. 

Along with his big hitting skills, Shepherd's ability as a bowler is appreciable—72 wickets in CPL, 13 wickets in SA20, 5 wickets in BPL, and 4 wickets in IPL. 

Punjab Kings (Playing XI)

Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (C), Josh Inglis (WK), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Impact players - Harpreet Brar, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Praveen Dubey, Glenn Maxwell and Suryansh Shedge.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Playing XI)

Virat Kohli, Phil Salt (WK), Rajat Patidar (C), Romario Shepherd (In for Liam Livingstone), Jitesh Sharma, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Suyash Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal.

Impact players - Devdutt Padikkal, Rasikh Salam, Manoj Bhandage, Jacob Bethell and Swapnil Singh.

In an important game against Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bengaluru decided to drop England all-rounder Liam Livingstone. RCB captain Rajat Patidar confirmed this at the toss. Many fans were surprised, but there were some clear reasons behind this move.

Livingstone was bought for ₹8.75 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. He is known for hitting big sixes and bowling useful spin. But in this season, he has not played well. In 6 innings, he scored only 87 runs, with an average of 17.40 and a strike rate of 127.94. His best score was 54. He also hit only 4 fours and 7 sixes, much less than expected.

Livingstone didn’t help much with the ball either. RCB already has two main spinners in Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma, so his bowling wasn’t needed much. Since he didn’t perform well with the bat and wasn’t used much with the ball, the team decided to make a change. RCB needed more from him in the middle overs, but he often got out while trying to hit big shots. This made things harder for the rest of the batting line-up.

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Poor Form with Bat and Ball, Romario Shepherd Comes In

In his place, RCB brought in West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd. He was bought for ₹1.5 crore. Shepherd is a fast bowler and also hits big shots in the lower order. Since the match is being played in the afternoon in Mullanpur, where dew won’t be a big problem, RCB decided to go with pace instead of spin. At the toss, Patidar said, “We're going to bowl first. Wicket looks decent, won't change much. Shepherd comes in for Livi.”

Livingstone has played well in past IPL seasons. In 2022, he scored 437 runs at a strike rate of 182. But this year, his form has dropped. In T20 cricket, form is very important, and right now, Livingstone is struggling. This decision shows that RCB is ready to take bold steps. They want players who are in form and can help them win games. Livingstone may return later in the season, but for now, RCB is hoping that Romario Shepherd can give them the edge.

In the fourth match of the IPL 2024 season, Mumbai Indians clashed with Delhi Capitals at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai Indians secured their first victory of the season against a formidable opponent by 29 runs.

Mumbai Indians’ Dominance in Batting

Mumbai Indians, opting to bat first, commenced their innings with a fiery display of batting prowess. The opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan set the tone with their aggressive approach, accumulating runs swiftly. Rohit Sharma, in particular, showcased remarkable power-hitting, reaching the impressive milestone of 1000 runs against Delhi Capitals.

See Also: ‘Mumbai Indians could have really helped me’: Dinesh Karthik

However, Mumbai Indians faced a setback with the dismissal of Suryakumar Yadav for a duck, courtesy of Anrich Nortje. Despite this, Skipper Hardik Pandya and Tim David ensured a formidable total, with David’s contribution of 45 runs being instrumental in bolstering Mumbai’s score.

The final over witnessed a dynamic display of batting from Romario Shepherd, who unleashed an unbeaten cameo of 39 runs. This onslaught propelled Mumbai Indians to a commanding total of 234/5, setting a daunting target for Delhi Capitals to chase.

Delhi Capitals’ Resilience in Response

In response to Mumbai’s imposing total, Delhi Capitals commenced their innings with a spirited effort from opener Prithvi Shaw, who scored a brilliant 66 runs off 40 balls. Shaw’s aggressive batting kept Delhi in contention for the chase, providing hope to the Capitals’ camp.

Despite Shaw’s heroics, Delhi Capitals faltered in maintaining the required run rate as wickets tumbled at crucial junctures. The pressure mounted on Delhi’s batting lineup as they struggled to keep pace with the escalating run rate.

Tristan Stubbs emerged as the top scorer for Delhi Capitals with a resilient 71* off 25 balls. However, his valiant effort proved insufficient to overhaul Mumbai’s imposing target, as Delhi fell short of the mark, succumbing to Mumbai Indians’ dominance.

Bumrah’s Milestone Moment

Jasprit Bumrah further embellished Mumbai Indians’ triumph by notching two crucial wickets, thereby reaching a significant milestone of 150 wickets in his IPL career. Bumrah’s stellar performance added to Mumbai’s jubilation, as they celebrated a comprehensive victory over Delhi Capitals.

Mumbai Indians showcased a remarkable batting performance in their IPL 2024 match against Delhi Capitals. The highlight of their innings was Romario Shepherd‘s explosive batting display in the final over.

Hitting Summary of Romario Shepherd in the Last Over

In the last over of the innings, Romario Shepherd showcased his power-hitting prowess by smashing 32 runs off Anrich Nortje’s bowling. His onslaught included two boundaries and four towering sixes, providing a significant boost to Mumbai Indians’ total.

See Also: IPL 2024: Rishabh Pant aims for significant milestone in DC’s Clash with MI

Highest strike-rate in IPL innings (min 10 balls)

390.00 – ROMARIO SHEPHERD (MI) v DC, today
373.33 – Pat Cummins (KKR) v MI, 2022
372.72 – AB de Villiers (RCB) v MI, 2015
369.23 – Andre Russell (KKR) v RCB, 2019
350.00 – Chris Gayle (RCB) v SRH, 2015

MOST RUNS OFF ONE OVER IN IPL

37 – Chris Gayle off Prasanth Parameswaran (RCB vs KTK, Bengaluru; 2011)

37 – Ravindra Jadeja off Harshal Patel (CSK vs RCB, Mumbai; 2021)

35 – Pat Cummins off Daniel Sams (KKR vs MI, Pune; 2022)

33 – Suresh Raina off Parvinder Awana (CSK vs KXIP, Mumbai; 2014)

33 – Manoj Tiwary & Chris Gayle off Ravi Bopara (KKR vs KXIP, Kolkata; 2010)

32 – Romario Shepherd off Anrich Nortje (MI vs DC, Mumbai; 2024)

Contributions from Key Batters

The batting lineup of Mumbai Indians delivered splendidly, with notable contributions from Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Tim David, and Romario Shepherd. While Rohit Sharma anchored the innings with a solid knock of 49 runs, Tim David remained unbeaten on 45*, playing a crucial role in the late surge. Ishan Kishan’s aggressive 42 and Romario Shepherd’s unbeaten 39* further bolstered MI’s scorecard.

Impact on Mumbai Indians’ Total

The mammoth total of 234/5 set by Mumbai Indians not only puts pressure on the opposition but also establishes a strong momentum for the team. The explosive batting performance ensures that Delhi Capitals will have to chase a formidable target, thus testing their batting lineup under pressure.

Key Wickets Taken by DC Bowlers

Despite the onslaught from Mumbai Indians batsmen, Delhi Capitals’ bowlers managed to pick up crucial wickets. Anrich Nortje and Axar Patel proved to be the most effective, scalping two wickets each. Their timely breakthroughs helped limit the damage caused by the Mumbai Indians’ batting lineup.

With Mumbai Indians posting a daunting total, the onus is now on Delhi Capitals’ bowlers to devise effective strategies and execute their plans meticulously. They need to focus on containing the run flow while also aiming to take quick wickets to keep the opposition under control.

Match Context and Toss Decision

In the IPL 2024 match between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, Rishabh Pant, the skipper of DC, won the toss and elected to bowl first. This decision reflects the team’s confidence in their bowling attack and their strategy to chase down the target set by Mumbai Indians.

Playing at their home ground in Mumbai, Mumbai Indians enjoy the advantage of familiar conditions and strong support from the home crowd. This factor adds an extra dimension to their gameplay and boosts their confidence as they aim for a victorious outing against Delhi Capitals.

Highest team total for MI in the IPL
246/5 vs SRH, Hyderabad, 2024
235/9 vs SRH, Abu Dhabi, 2021
234/5 vs DC, Wankhede, today*
223/6 vs PBKS, Wankhede, 2017

Most runs scored by a team in the last 5 overs
112 – RCB vs GL, Bengaluru, 2016
96 – MI vs PBKS, Wankhede, 2023
96 – MI vs Dc, Wankhede, 2024*
91 – KKR vs RCB, Eden Gardens, 2019

Most time scored 200+ against a team in IPL
6 – RCB vs PBKS
6 – MI vs DC*

Most 200+ totals in IPL
29 – CSK
24 – RCB
24 – MI*
22 – PBKS
21 – KKR