By Zainab Shafiq 
Just in time for a pivotal moment in the tournament, Romario Shepherd is back in India and ready to bolster Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) campaign as the team aims to secure a strong finish in the RCB IPL 2025 playoffs. The explosive allrounder, who smashed a rapid 14-ball half-century against Chennai Super Kings earlier this month, re-joins the RCB squad amid a late-season player shuffle that could influence the fate of several teams
Romario Shepherd lands in India with West Indies mates for IPL 2025
Shepherd landed in India alongside fellow West Indies stars Andre Russell and Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders, with the trio accompanied by KKR mentor Dwayne Bravo. While Shepherd is scheduled to represent West Indies in their upcoming ODI series against England beginning May 29—the same day IPL playoffs commence—there’s still no official word from Cricket West Indies on whether players will be allowed to remain in India through the end of the tournament.
RCB, currently on 16 points from 11 matches, are in prime position to clinch a top-four spot. Their journey to the playoffs is being shaped not only by form but also by availability. England’s Liam Livingstone has linked up with RCB after being dropped from England’s limited-overs squads. Meanwhile, Jacob Bethell, who had filled in due to Phil Salt’s illness, is set to feature in two more games before returning home. Salt, now fit, is back for the remainder of the season.
However, the team is still awaiting clarity on pacers Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi. Hazlewood is managing a shoulder issue, while Ngidi, who debuted for RCB on May 3, is likely to depart before the final league game as he’s part of South Africa’s World Test Championship final squad.
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