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Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Kolkata Knight Riders in a make-or-break match of IPL 2026 on 13th May at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur.

 

RCB currently lead the points table and would like to secure a first place finish in the league stage. With the playoffs becoming increasingly competitive, there are likely to be some changes in the team selection for this match to maintain balance within the team.

 

Romario Shepherd is someone who is quite tense before facing Kolkata Knight Riders in the upcoming match. The West Indian all-rounder was expected to provide a massive impact to RCB this season; however, his performance both with the bat and ball has not been consistent.

 

3 Reasons why shepherd should drop against KKR

 

Poor Bowling Form Has Hurt RCB

 

This is definitely the most significant concern, and Shepherd’s performance with the ball has not been too impressive.

 

He has managed to get just six wickets in 11 games for an economy rate of 11.90. His bowling average stands at 39.66, and his performance has certainly not been very impressive during the latter stages of games. In several games, he has not been able to bowl tight lines during the death overs, allowing batsmen to keep attacking him.

 

In one of his recent encounters against Delhi Capitals, Shepherd could not defend as many as 15 runs in the last over of the game while David Miller scored two sixes.

 

Similarly, Shepherd allowed the opposing team, Lucknow Super Giants, to score as many as 16 runs in one over. This resulted in RCB not having much faith in their bowler during crucial moments.

 

Also Read | IPL 2026: Will Phil Salt Play Against KKR; RCB gives Injury Update

 

Batting Has Also Failed To Impress

 

RCB have mostly leaned on Shepherd as a finisher in the lower middle order. The plan was simple, score quick runs late… and help the team close matches stronger.But the problem is, he hasn’t actually done it often enough.

 

In seven innings, Shepherd has scored just 83 runs at a strike rate of 125.75. For a modern T20 lower-order power hitter, those numbers just don’t look convincing, not really. RCB expected him to hit boundaries regularly during the death overs, but instead he has struggled to actually finish games.

 

In the recent match vs Mumbai Indians, he got out at a key moment when RCB needed big shots in the final over. Even though RCB still won by two wickets, that dismissal nearly caused a headache, and that’s the kind of risk teams don’t want again.

 

RCB Have Better Options Available

 

And then, there’s the simple one- RCB might have other options, and it makes Shepherd’s spot less “safe”.

 

Venkatesh Iyer is likely to be back in the playing XI after spending most of the season mostly sitting on the bench. His return could strengthen the batting depth, and it also gives RCB more room to adjust their XI depending on conditions.

 

If RCB do play Venkatesh, that can also help them manage the overseas spots—meaning they can potentially bring back fast bowler Jacob Duffy, who made an impression earlier in the tournament.

 

As the playoffs are getting closer, RCBwill want their strongest plan and best combination on the field. And with Shepherd’s output lately looking weak both with bat and ball, the odds of him missing this important clash against KKR have gone up.