I saw bowler’s body language, he was confused: RCB’s Shepherd on assault on CSK’s Khaleel

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Romario Shepherd said he sensed confusion in Khaleel Ahmed’s thinking which helped him execute his range-hitting plans effectively against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer in the death overs.

Shepherd changed the course of the IPL match here on Saturday night with a blistering unbeaten 14-ball 53 in RCB’s two-run win. It was the joint second-fastest fifty in the history of the league.

“To be honest, I was more focused on the bowler and what he was trying to do. When I hit the first two (sixes), I know I had the bowler under pressure. I saw his body language. So I was like, okay, let me try and put him under some more pressure,” said Shepherd in the post-match press conference.

“Then I saw him (Khaleel Ahmed), he was kind of confused. So, I know I had him. So, at that point, I just continue going,” he added.

The fastest fifty of the IPL was struck off just 13 balls by Yashasvi Jaiswal in 2023, while both KL Rahul (2018) and Pat Cummins (2022) had also earlier made half-centuries off 14 balls.

Shepherd punished Ahmed for 33 runs in the 19^th over and Matheesha Pathirana for 21 runs in the 20^th over as RCB raced 213 for five from 159 for five at the end of the 18^th over.

But the Guyanese cricketer said he was not pre-meditating to hit all the balls out of the park.

“When I walked in, I had an idea of what they were trying to bowl. So, I went out there, prepared for that. Then Timmy (Tim David) told me just to hold my shape a bit because the ball was creeping in the wicket. So my mindset automatically changed to just base up and watch the ball, hit in my areas and don’t try and swing before, swing too early,” he said.

But how tough was it for him to come out in the 17^th over and go hammer and tongs from ball one?

“It wasn’t difficult watching them win, but, you know, for me, I wanted the opportunity to go there, and today presented that. But not saying that I was thinking of going there and hitting 53 of 14.

“But I was just thinking to try and get my team to a good finish and try and get the momentum back because at one stage of the game they (CSK) had the momentum going into the last two or three overs,” he added.

Shepherd got a taste of his own medicine when Ayush Mhatre and Ravindra Jadeja combined to cart him for 18 in his solitary over.

But that was not enough to make the 30-year-old repent on his own stunning assault on bowlers.

“Today wasn’t a good day to feel sad for bowlers because myself went over 18,” he quipped.

“So on a good wicket, on these small grounds, as a hitter and as a run-getter, I try to capitalise on whatever opportunity presents itself. Whenever I get an opportunity with a bat, I know that I have to do my best to actually get some sort of performance in.

“It’s because, I know, with the ball it will be difficult because on these wickets and these types of batters, they hunt you, man. They hunt you,” he signed off.