Romario Shepherd, previously a lesser-known batsman, made headlines on Sunday with a sensational performance for the Mumbai Indians (MI) at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium. In a stunning display of power hitting, Shepherd smashed 32 runs off the final over bowled by Delhi Capitals’ pacer Anrich Nortje, propelling MI to a mammoth total of 234/5 in their allotted 20 overs. This remarkable total stands as the third-highest in MI’s IPL history and the highest achieved at their home venue.
Despite losing the toss, MI, led by Hardik Pandya, made a strong start with Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan providing a solid foundation. However, the momentum faced some setbacks after the dismissal of Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav’s failure to make an impact in IPL 2024.
Delhi Capitals’ bowlers, particularly Anrich Nortje and spinner Axar Patel, initially contained the MI batsmen. Hardik Pandya played a crucial innings of 39 runs, while Tilak Varma departed after scoring just 6 runs.
The arrival of Tim David injected new energy into MI’s innings, with him and Pandya forming a formidable partnership. However, Nortje managed to dismiss Pandya, bringing Romario Shepherd to the crease.
Shepherd’s explosive batting in the final over proved to be the turning point, as he hammered Nortje for 32 runs, including four sixes and two fours. Nortje’s figures of 65 runs conceded in the match made him the most expensive bowler, and Shepherd’s onslaught marked the most expensive over of the IPL 2024 season.
Shepherd’s heroics not only propelled MI to a formidable total but also etched his name in IPL history with an unforgettable performance against the Delhi Capitals.
