Bengaluru:

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

Romario Shepherd smashed the fastest fifty by a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history. He achieved the historic milestone during the clash against arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday, May 3. 378.6 - Best strike rate for any 50+ score by a batter in the history of the IPL!

The highlight of his innings was his brutal hitting against the CSK pacers Khaleel Ahmed and Matheesh Pathirana. He smacked Khaleel for 33 runs in the penultimate over of the innings and Pathirana for 21 runs off the final over. Notably, Khaleel's 33-run over is the most expensive over by any CSK bowler in IPL history.

Romario came out to bat when RCB were struggling at 157/5 with only 14 balls left in the innings. He forged a 55-run partnership with Tim David out of which 53 runs came from his bat. Together, they accumulated 54 runs off last two overs, marking the most expensive 19-20 overs in an IPL innings.

Earlier, CSK skipper MS Dhoni decided to bowl, but the decision played handsomely into RCB’s hands as Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethel merrily chugged along to make 97 runs in just 9.5 overs for the opening wicket.

Kohli (62 off 33 balls) and Bethel (55 off 33) exploited a fuss-free pitch to telling effect, and their job was made much easier by the wrong lines of CSK bowlers, which was evidenced when Shepherd (53 not out off 14 balls; 4x4, 6X6) made the joint second fastest fifty in the IPL.

Khaleel Ahmed, who has the highest number of dot balls in this IPL at 110, tried to test Kohli with snorter but it was pulled thunderously over fine leg for a six.

In the very next ball, the left-arm pacer went for a fuller length delivery but it was on Kohli’s pads as the batter sent the ball soaring over square leg for a maximum, and all he needed was a simple unlocking of his wrist.

Bethel was more brutal. The England left-hander smashed Ahmed for three successive fours in the first over itself, all rasping cuts and forceful drives, as RCB raced out of the traps.

The 21-year-old had a slice of fortune too as Ravindra Jadeja and Matheesha Pathirana collided with each other to spill a catch off pacer Anshul Kamboj. Bethel was on 27 then, and he soon brought up his maiden IPL fifty with a reverse scoop off Jadeja. Kohli too reached his fifty soon after with a routine slap through the cover region for a four off Jadeja.

Just as the alliance was blossoming further, Bethel skied Pathirana for Dewald Brevis to complete a fine catch running in from the boundary line.

It gave some respite to the CSK bowlers, who found a way to stem the free flow of runs using cutters and into-the-deck deliveries, particularly Sam Curran (1/34) and Pathirana (3/36).

Curran consumed Kohli with a slow delivery which did not allow the batter to execute a ramp over Ahmed at gully. But Kohli and Bethel had given RCB a superb platform as the home side were placed at 121 for 2 in the 12th over.

However, the improved lengths of CSK bowlers and a tinge of slowness in the track made RCB settle for 37 runs between overs 12 and 18 as batters like Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Rajat Patidar failed to force the pace.

But Shepherd waded into Ahmed (65 runs in 3 overs), slamming him for four sixes and two fours in the 19th over which yielded 33 runs. Shepherd and Tim David raised their fifty stand for the sixth wicket in just 14 balls and the latter contributed a princely two runs in that alliance.

The most expensive over for CSK in IPL
33 - Khaleel Ahmed vs RCB, 2025*
30 - Lungi Ngidi vs RR, 2020
30 - Sam Curran vs KKR, 2021
29 - DJ Bravo vs MI, 2019

Fastest fifty in IPL history (by balls faced)
13 - Yashasvi Jaiswal (RR) vs KKR, 2023
14 - KL Rahul (PBKS) vs DC, 2018
14 - Pat Cummins (KKR) vs MI, 2022
14 - Romario Shepherd (RCB) vs CSK, 2025*

Most runs scored in Overs 19-20 of an IPL innings
54/0 - RCB vs CSK, Bengaluru, 2025*
53/0 - DC vs GT, Delhi, 2024
51/0 - MI vs DC, Wankhede, 2024
49/0 - PBKS vs RCB, Dubai, 2020
48/0 - RCB vs PBKS, Bangalore, 2019

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