3 IPL teams that could've benefited from signing Romario Shepherd instead of MI
The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) is still some way away, but the Mumbai Indians (MI) have already started making moves.
It isn't often that we see trades take place in the IPL, but the five-time champions have made an early call to rope in Romario Shepherd, who was on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) roster but couldn't establish himself as a regular member of the playing XII.
Shepherd is a talented cricketer, with decent numbers and impressive performances in franchise leagues around the world. He has a T20 strike rate higher than 150 and has also been able to pick up wickets on a regular basis.
However, does Shepherd fit in at MI? Rohit Sharma and Co. weren't necessarily crying out for a player of his skillset, and the 28-year-old might have been a better fit at certain other franchises, which lost out on his services to Mumbai.
Here are three IPL 2024 teams that could've benefited from pipping MI to the signing of Romario Shepherd.
#3 Royal Challengers Bangalore
The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have a lot of quality players in their ranks, but their all-rounder department isn't particularly solid as of now. They have quite a few spin-bowling all-rounders, including Glenn Maxwell and Wanindu Hasaranga, but most of their quicks are specialists.
Harshal Patel, Sonu Yadav and Manoj Bhandage are the only Indian options who can bat, while David Willey, who has played four matches in the last campaign, is their sole overseas option. With Harshal potentially on the verge of being released, RCB could use some beef in their fast-bowling all-rounder contingent.
Options won't be easy to come by in the IPL 2024 auction, and Romario Shepherd would've been a decent option to have in their ranks. If not a starter, the Guyanese player could've been a capable backup on the bench for RCB, who need someone who can clear the boundaries at the Chinnaswamy Stadium with ease while also chipping in with a couple of overs.
#2 Chennai Super Kings
Romario Shepherd had a meaningful SA20 campaign in the inaugural edition of the league, playing for the Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) sister franchise Joburg Super Kings (JSK). JSK released him into the auction pool but shelled out a big portion of their purse to reacquire him, a testament to their belief in his abilities.
It would've only been logical for Shepherd to don yellow in the IPL as well, with CSK known to be interested in West Indian all-rounders who can hit the ball a long way. They even went up to ₹5 crore for the 28-year-old at the IPL 2022 auction before the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) secured his signature.
Dwayne Bravo has done an excellent job as CSK's bowling coach, and he could've worked with his compatriot to make him an all-phase option. With Dwaine Pretorius and Ben Stokes not really impressing, Chennai could've pursued a deal for Shepherd and boosted that department.
#1 Kolkata Knight Riders
The Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have searched everywhere for a capable Andre Russell replacement, but they've never been able to zero in on someone for the long run. By signing Romario Shepherd, they could've finally ticked off that box.
KKR had room for an additional overseas player in IPL 2022 and often played David Wiese, who had been signed with an eye on Russell's injury troubles, in tandem with the two-time IPL MVP. Wiese is getting on in age, though, and moving towards a player who can take over the mantle will be high on the franchise's agenda.
Shepherd could've slotted in well at KKR, but he will don the blue and gold of MI instead.