3 reasons RCB should drop Romario Shepherd against KKR
Romario Shepherd has featured in all games for RCB in IPL 2026 so far.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are set to square off with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their next match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The encounter will take place on May 13 at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.
The race for the playoffs is getting intense with each passing game. RCB, who currently take the top spot in the points table, will leave no stone unturned to win their remaining three games and finish the league stage at top.
Despite being at the top of the table, there have been a few concerns for RCB, and one among them is Romario Shepherd, who was expected to play a key role for RCB. However, he has flopped with his performance this season. Despite his struggles, the franchise has backed him in all matches so far in IPL 2026.
In the upcoming clash against KKR, they might make a few changes and one of them could be replacing Shepherd. On that note, below are three reasons why RCB should drop Shepherd against KKR.
Reasons why RCB should bench Romario Shepherd against KKR
3. Poor bowling form
The West Indies all-rounder has failed to make a mark with ball this season. In 11 games, he has clinched just six wickets at an average of 39.66.
He remained wicketless in a few games and his high economy rate of 11.90 has become a liability for the team in the death overs. Hence, RCB should replace him with a better in-form bowler.
2. Inability to bat aggressively in lower-order
RCB have kept Shepherd in the lower-order so that he can accelerate the scoreboard in the death overs with his aggressive batting. However, he has failed to execute that job effectively. He has batted in seven games but has failed to score runs at a high strike rate.
Piling up 83 runs at a strike rate of 125.75, Shepherd has failed to make a mark with his batting. In the previous game against Mumbai Indians, he lost his wicket at a crucial moment in the final over, when he was required to clear boundaries.
1. RCB lost two matches due to Shepherd
Shepherd was blamed for RCB’s two defeats in IPL 2026. In a clash against Delhi Capitals, he could not defend 15 runs off his final over, as David Miller finished the chase with two sixes off his bowling.
In a recent clash against LSG, he leaked 16 runs off his single over, which forced the team to stop him from bowling. He also failed to fire with bat in the chase and LSG eventually won the match by nine runs.
In the previous game against MI, Shepherd lost his wicket in the final over when RCB needed 15 runs to win. RCB managed to win by two wickets but his dismissal came as a big blow for the side.
Romario Shepherd is part of which team in IPL 2026?
He is playing for RCB in the tournament.
When will RCB vs KKR match take place?
The encounter will be played on May 13 in Raipur.
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Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.