May 10, 2025

Romario Shepherd’s big-hitting, Yash Dayal’s yorkers power RCB past CSK and to the top of points table again

Romario Shepherd’s big-hitting, Yash Dayal’s yorkers power RCB past CSK and to the top of points table again

Yash Dayal’s redemption and Romario Shepherd’s belligerence overshadow Ayush Mhatre’s silken brilliance and Ravindra Jadeja’s steely grit to put RCB on top of the points table

At 159 for 5 after 18 overs , RCB should never have reached 213 but Romario Shepherd tore into CSK with 14-ball 53. Needing 35 from 19 balls in the chase, CSK would have won if not for the impressive leggie Suyash Sharma’s 6-run 18th over and Yash Dayal’s brilliant final over, where he defended 15 runs.

Drama at the end

Couple of years ago, he had a horror final over to Rinku Singh, but Yash Dayal got his own slice of IPL history with an incredible final over filled with yorkers – and just for some drama, a no-ball that went for a six. But the yorkers did the trick as Dayal didn’t allow CSK to take 15 runs that were needed for a win. It wasn’t just the final over that thrilled. It was nearly the full game, but best to focus first on the final few overs of the chase.

Story continues below this ad

After a dew-soaked ball that kept getting clattered on a pitch that certainly got better for batting in the chase, RCB got a dry ball with the equation reading 64 from 36 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had leaked 26 runs to Ayush Mhatre in 3rd over as every ball went to a boundary (five fours and a six), bowled five tight deliveries. But Mhatre reached out to a well-outside off ball off the final delivery to slam it over cover boundary. Now, 54 from 30 balls. Mhatre’s sliced drive off Yash Dayal was put down by Rajat Patidar, running back from cover. Two balls later, off the final ball of that same over, Ravindra Jadeja, in midst of his best knock of the season, pulled a slower bouncer straight to fine-leg where Lungi Ngidi dropped a sitter.

Ngidi had his moment of redemption, inducing Mhatre to miscue a slower delivery to long-on where Krunal Pandya held on to leave the equation needing 42 off 22 balls. Very next ball, he fired a low dipping full toss to trap Dewald Brevis LBW. CSK were late in asking for DRS, the replays confirmed that the ball would have missed leg stump. Jadeja responded with a six off a full toss but that meant another dry ball came out, with 35 from 19 balls.

The impressive leggie Suyash Sharma used that dry ball to slip in crafty skidders to give just six runs. Then Virat Kohli dropped a regulation catch off Jadeja at long-on off the first ball of the 19th over. Dhoni hit a six over covers off Bhuvneshwar as the game entered the final over. 15 off the final Dayal over, who gave just a single to Dhoni first ball. Next, Jadeja swatted a low dipping full toss for just a single. And Dayal nailed Dhoni LBW with a low full toss that slid past the heave to ping the front pad in line.

Festive offer

With 13 for 3, came Dayal’s first mistake. The dewy ball slipped out of his grasp for a high full toss, which was deemed no ball, and Shivam Dube also smashed it over midwicket for a six. But Dayal held his nerve next ball with a yorker that went for just one run. It came down to four from the final ball as Jadeja could only dig out yet another really full delivery for a single. And Dayal incredibly nailed another yorker to ensure RCB moved to top of points table.

Mhatre and Jadeja shine

Mhatre’s brilliant knock and Jadeja’s refusal to fade away without a fight were why the game went this close. Unlike a few young batsmen flourishing in this IPL, Mhatre doesn’t prefer a side, choosing to stay still and react to the demands of the ball with perfect balance at the crease. Jadeja has been criticised for not showing intent at the start of his innings. Not today, though as he played the situation perfectly until he was thwarted by Dayal.

Romario’s big-hitting

By the end of 18th over, RCB seemingly lost all the momentum as they meandered against Noor Ahmed and Matheesha Pathirana. But that’s when Shepherd intervened brutally. It was a crazy little knock really, and RCB’s Jacob Bethell nailed it during the innings break with his comments: “I don’t think he middled many balls there but he was still smacking it two tiers out, shows the power of the man… incredible .. to have that much power is really cool.” Cool, indeed, from Mr Muscles, who was named after the Brazilian footballer and who as a boy attended primary school without shoes. In a dismal season for CSK, he pulled the rug from under their feet.

Except for a free-hit ball, interestingly one of the three dot balls he faced, Khaleel kept feeding Shepherd within the range, just alternating the length from short to full. The white ball kept disappearing into the Bangalore skyline as 33 runs came. Not that Pathirana learnt, for he too kept bowling in line of the stumps and kept getting whacked in the final over with heave-hos and drag-pulls. CSK fought valiantly in the chase, but RCB prevailed.

Story continues below this ad

Brief scores: RCB 213/5 (Virat Kohli 62, Jacob Bethell 55, Romario Shepherd 53, Matheesha Pathirana 3/36) beat CSK 211/5 (Ayush Mhatre 94, Lungi Ngidi 3/30) by 2 runs.

OR

Read Full News
Go Back Home

Related Posts

© OnFieldNews 2020-2024, All Rights Reserved.

Scroll to Top