IPL 2024: Shepherd's all-round heroics help MI register first win in the league

Rohit Sharma and Romario Shepherd

Mumbai Indians's (MI) Romario Shepherd inflicted the most damage on Delhi Capitals (DC) in the IPL on Sunday night. First, by hammering a 10-ball 39 not out (3x4, 4x6) at No.7 and then by chipping in with 1-54, a wicket that included the dangerous David Warner (10) to help MI open their account in this year's edition.

MI's 29-run win under the Wankhede lights provided the spark their disappointing campaign needed amidst an uproar over the appointment of Hardik Pandya as captain with India captain Rohit Sharma playing under him.

Romario Shepherd, the all-rounder from Guyana, was put to the test, facing DC pacer Anrich Nortje in the 20th over. Nortje had dismissed MI's two big stars - Hardik Pandya (33-ball 39, 3x4, 1x6) and Suryakumar Yadav (0) in his first three overs.

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But Shepherd ensured the South African pacer Nortje witnessed the most frustrating day of his IPL career when his fourth over, the and innings' 20th, went for 32 runs. Shepherd smashed Nortje all over the park with four sixes and two fours, his sequence of shots being 4, 6, 6, 6, 4 and 6.

Crucial sixth-wicket stand

In the process, Shepherd and Tim David (21-ball 45 not out, 2x4, 4x6) stitched a sixth wicket unbeaten stand of 53 off just 13 balls. Earlier, put into bat, MI openers Rohit Sharma (27-ball 49, 6x4, 3x6) and Ishan Kishan (23-ball 42, 4x4, 2x6) and then skipper Hardik Pandya (33-ball 39, 3x4, 1x6) helped MI post 234-5- in the allotted 20 overs.

DC's India pacer Ishant Sharma (0-40) experienced a tough time in his first over itself when Rohit smashed the ball with the crowd chanting Rohit, Rohit. Jhye Richardson (0-40) was hit for a couple of sixes when the bowler was introduced in the fourth over.

Chasing a formidable 235, DC's Mumbai boy Prithvi Shaw (40-ball 66, 8x4, 3x6), No.4 Tristan Stubbs (25-ball 71 not out, 3x4, 7x6) and one-drop Abishek Porel (41, 5x4) tried their best, but it was not enough to beat MI on their home ground. DC skipper Rishabh Pant could score only one, dismissed by pacer Gerald Coetzee (4-34).

DC start well, but falter later

DC were 94-1 at the half-way mark, but it got tougher when 55 were needed in the last 12 balls. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah (2-22) showed his class again. Shepherd was Player of the match in his debut game for MI. "At the back of my mind I was saying that any opportunity I get, I would try and capitalise on it. I knew that once I go in there I have to try and get as much as possible, especially in the last couple of balls. I just keep a clear mind and try to hit every ball and I did exactly that. It was a fantastic feeling [to get those runs]," he said.