Romario Shepherd

Romario Shepherd is a tall, well-built giant of a man who can use his height to great effect to trouble the batters and strike the cricket ball a long way lower down the order. Shepherd rose through the ranks in Guyana, where he played at the U-17 level. However, looking at his potential, he was included in the senior team and made his List A debut at the start of 2016 against Leeward Islands where he picked up three wickets to be awarded the Player of the Match. After that, he made rapid strides as an upcoming young talent from the Caribbean and made his first-class and T20 debut in the following year.

Shepherd continued to improve his game at the domestic level and garnered the attention of the Windies selectors after his consistent performance for Guyana and West Indies A. His performances in the Caribbean T20 League were also instrumental in bringing his death bowling skills and power-hitting ability to the forefront. His three-dimensional qualities helped him break into the national side and in 2019, he made his ODI debut for West Indies against Afghanistan where he picked up a couple of wickets. The start of 2020 saw him make his T20I debut against Ireland.

Shepherd was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2021 edition of the Caribbean T20 League with 18 wickets in 9 games and also played some handy cameos with the bat. He continued to be a part of the national side in limited overs but couldn't perform consistently but made an impact in the series against Pakistan with his all-round skills after the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup which he missed out on. In 2022, he scored his maiden ODI half-century against Ireland. Romario has not been able to live up to expectations and has been in and out of the national setup due to his inconsistent performance.

He was picked up by Hyderabad for the 2022 Indian Premier League season for INR 7.75 crore but played just 3 games and was released at the end of the season. Lucknow grabbed him for the 2023 edition at his base price and he could prove to be an ace in the pack for the franchise. Shepherd is a good all-rounder to have for any team and with a little bit of hard work, he can be an asset for the West Indies. It is his wicket-taking ability and the ability to deliver with the bat in crucial situations that provides him with an edge over others. Most recently, he was picked up by the Mumbai franchise for the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League.