Romario Shepherd, an all-rounder, provided Mumbai Indians (MI) with an explosive finish they required. He played a remarkable cameo, scoring 39 runs off just 10 deliveries against Delhi Capitals (DC) in their IPL 2024 match at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 7.
Mumbai had crossed the 200-run mark with an over remaining, and it appeared they would finish between 210 and 220 runs. However, Romario Shepherd had different plans. He attacked speedster Anrich Nortje, scoring an astonishing 32 runs in the final over.
Romario Shepherd began the over by drilling the delivery into the ground to establish a boundary. He expected Anrich Nortje to bowl a slower delivery into the pitch, wait for it, and then drop it over long-on for a maximum. Romario Shepherd then moved over and hit another six, this time over the square leg.
Nortje attempted to widen the line, but the West Indian all-rounder had no trouble sending it over the covers for another six. Another boundary down the ground followed, and the final ball was virtually a chip shot that easily cleared long on.
Here’s a video of Shepherd’s massive sixes:
The emotions of skipper Hardik Pandya, colleague Suryakumar Yadav, and the legendary Sachin Tendulkar summed up how pleasantly shocked the MI dressing room was by Shepherd’s stunning performance.
Romario Shepherd justifies his selection in some style
The Mumbai Indians’ shambolic batting performance against the Rajasthan Royals necessitated adjustments to their lineup. MI recruited Mohammad Nabi and Romario Shepherd to provide extra depth. That allowed openers Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan to express themselves more effectively through cameos.
While Tim David played a key hand of 45*, Shepherd alone made a difference of 15-20 runs. The hosts seem to have a spring in their step with the ball, which is understandable. Romario Shepherd has already had an effect with the ball by dismissing the dangerous David Warner.
