Bengaluru, May 3 (UNI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru unleashed a batting storm at Chepauk, piling up a massive 213/5 in their 20 overs against Chennai Super Kings in Match 52 of IPL 2025, powered by a jaw-dropping late assault from Romario Shepherd who hammered a 14-ball 50, the second-fastest in the IPL history, leaving CSK bowlers dazed and their fans shell-shocked.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat first, RCB rode on a blistering opening stand between Jacob Bethell (55 off 33) and Virat Kohli (62 off 33), before Shepherd stole the show in the death overs with a ballistic knock that turned a competitive total into a mountain.
Kohli, in ominous touch, brought up his half-century off just 30 balls, dispatching five fours and five sixes in a typically fluent innings. Bethell, touted as England’s next big thing, matched his senior partner stroke for stroke, reaching his 50 with a reverse-lapped four off Ravindra Jadeja, having earlier launched Noor Ahmad for a 99-metre six.
Their 97-run stand was broken by Matheesha Pathirana, who triggered a mini collapse with wickets of Bethell, Devdutt Padikkal (17), and Rajat Patidar (11), while Noor Ahmad and Sam Curran chipped in with strikes during the middle overs. Kohli's dismissal for 62, caught off a miscued uppercut, briefly swung momentum CSK's way.
But just when Chennai thought they had clawed back, Shepherd walked in and turned the final few overs into a demolition act. What followed was a staggering strike rate of 378.57, as Shepherd smashed 33 runs off Khaleel Ahmed’s 18th over, including three sixes and two boundaries, with one six coming off a no-ball due to a delivery stride breach.
He then took down Pathirana, clobbering him for two sixes and two fours in the last over to reach his half-century in 14 balls, including a towering hit into the top tier over long-off. His final tally read 53 not out off 14 balls, with 4 boundaries and six sixes.
Shepherd’s assault left CSK stunned and the home fans silent. It was the most expensive death-over burst of the season, with Khaleel Ahmed’s figures of 3-0-65-0 going down as one of the costliest spells in IPL history.
Earlier, CSK’s fielding woes resurfaced with a collision between Jadeja and Pathirana resulting in a dropped catch, and multiple misfields aiding RCB’s cause.
With a daunting 214-run target, the onus is now on the CSK top-order to respond on a surface that has remained good for batting. But chasing down 200-plus target will take something extraordinary.
UNI BDN SS