As Royal Challengers Bengaluru gear up for the ongoing IPL 2026 season, West Indies all-rounder Romario Shepherd continues to shine as a retained key member
of the squad.
Retained ahead of the 2026 campaign after playing a pivotal role in RCB's historic maiden IPL title triumph in 2025 - where his explosive 14-ball half-century against Chennai Super Kings remains etched in fans' memories - Shepherd has evolved from a classical opener in his youth to a ruthless lower-order destroyer and handy bowler.
Growing up in Linden, Guyana, Shepherd's earliest cricketing memories were far from the glitz of the IPL. He recalled improvising with whatever was available in his yard.
"I used to play cricket in a small opening in my yard. Sometimes we made the ball with wood or used coconut branches to make a bat. Whenever the ball hit your shin, there were no pads because we were barefoot, so you had to defend your foot," Shepherd said.
His entry into organised cricket came during school years. Notably, the destructive six-hitter known today was once a patient accumulator.
Dwayne Bravo is Romario's Inspiration
As he progressed through age-group cricket, Shepherd's game transformed into that of a multi-dimensional all-rounder. His biggest inspiration? None other than West Indies and Chennai Super Kings legend Dwayne Bravo, the iconic all-rounder who lit up the IPL with his explosive batting, death bowling, and electric fielding across multiple title-winning campaigns with CSK.
"Whenever you listened to the radio, there was always one name you heard doing everything, batting, bowling and fielding, and that was Dwayne Bravo. I wanted to be that guy," he added.
Shepherd's breakthrough in white-ball cricket arrived in 2018 during the Caribbean Premier League, where his yorker-heavy bowling and big-hitting drew widespread attention.
"2018 is when people started taking my white-ball cricket seriously," Shepherd said. "I started bowling a lot of yorkers and hitting the ball, and commentators like Ian Bishop were saying this kid has something about him. "
A defining moment that season came against his childhood hero as Romario managed to hit a six while facing Dwayne Bravo.
"The first ball I faced was from Dwayne Bravo and I hit it for six way back in the crowd. That was big for me because he was someone I looked up to. "
That fearless approach has now found a perfect home at RCB. Shepherd's journey from Guyana's makeshift pitches to one of the IPL's biggest franchises reflects class and grit, along with the Calypso inspirations.
