IPL 2025: Shepherd’s 14-ball 53* puts RCB atop standings

Royal Challengers Bengaluru went one step closer to securing a play-off spot with a nervy win over Chennai Super Kings on Saturday.

Indian Premier League leaders Royal Challengers Bengaluru held their nerve to clinch a two-run win over the Chennai Super Kings.

It all came down to the last ball of the match, bottom-place CSK needing four from Yash Dayal’s final delivery, with the RCB man coming up trumps in the end, though there were plenty of hiccups along the way.

Sent in to bat by MS Dhoni, RCB got their innings off to a flier courtesy of Jacob Bethell (55 off 33) – playing just his second IPL game – and Virat Kohli (62 off 33), who together powered RCB to a 97-run first wicket stand.

The pair departed in quick succession, and a middle-order wobble followed as Devdutt Padikkal (17), Jitesh Sharma (seven), and Rajat Patidar (11) failed to capitalise. But Romario Shepherd came to the rescue in spectacular fashion.

Shepherd unleashed carnage in the final overs, smashing 33 off Khaleel Ahmed in the 19th and following that up with 21 off Matheesha Pathirana in the 20th. He finished on a jaw-dropping 53 off just 14 balls, powering RCB to a formidable 213.

CSK’s chase stuttered early with Shaik Rasheed (14) and Sam Curran (five) falling inside the powerplay. But 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre took charge, playing a sensational knock of 94 off 48 balls in only his debut season.

He and Ravindra Jadeja (77 off 45) put together a massive 114-run partnership that had CSK cruising toward the target, helped by some costly fielding errors from RCB — Patidar, Kohli, and Lungi Ngidi all spilling chances.

But Ngidi redeemed himself in the 16th over, dismissing Mhatre on the boundary and removing Dewald Brevis with the very next ball, turning the tide back in RCB’s favour.

With 15 needed off the final over and Jadeja and Dhoni at the crease, memories of last season’s clash hung in the air. Dayal struck early, trapping Dhoni lbw off his third ball, but drama returned instantly as a waist-high no-ball was dispatched for six by Shivam Dube.

Dayal held his nerve in the end, closing the game out with three well-executed slow wide yorkers, sealing a two-run win off the very last ball.

Data debrief: Mhatre announces himself on the big stage

Mhatre, at just 17 years and 291 days, became the third-youngest player to score a half-century in IPL history — behind only Riyan Parag (17y 175d) and Vaibhav Suryavanshi (14y 32d).

He made an early statement, smashing Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 26 runs in the fourth over, including five fours and a six.

Mhatre finished with a match-high nine boundaries and five sixes at a strike rate of 195.83 in an innings of real authority and promise.

It is only unfortunate that his brilliant knock went in vain, largely due to another impactful innings from Shepherd, who reached his fifty off just 14 deliveries – the fastest in this year’s IPL and joint-fourth fastest overall.

Shepherd struck four fours and six sixes at a mind-boggling strike rate of 378.57. (SportsMax)