Royal Challengers Bengaluru all-rounder Romario Shepherd has opened up on the path that took him from his childhood in Linden, Guyana, to donning the colours of one of the IPL’s best-known franchises. In a wide-ranging conversation, Shepherd looked back at the way he first learned the game, the role Dwayne Bravo played in shaping his ambitions, how his white-ball impact started to draw serious attention in 2018, and what day-to-day life feels like inside the RCB dressing room.
Key takeaways
- Shepherd grew up in Linden, Guyana, and described making improvised cricket gear while playing in a yard opening.
- He said his early batting relied more on finding gaps, recalling a debut-style innings of 129 off 40 overs without any sixes.
- He credited Dwayne Bravo as the blueprint for the all-round role he wanted to emulate.
- His white-ball breakthrough came in 2018 with the Caribbean Premier League, when people began taking his T20 skills seriously.
- Shepherd highlighted the positive, family-like culture in RCB’s squad, including the mix of senior players and younger talent.
- He noted that RCB support follows him even when he is representing West Indies elsewhere in the world.
From backyard cricket to organised play
Named after football icon Romario, Shepherd traced his earliest cricket memories to simple, makeshift sessions at home. He said he would play in a small opening in his yard, and that on some occasions the ball was fashioned using wood, while a coconut branch could be turned into a bat.
He also recalled the raw, barefoot nature of those games, explaining that when the ball struck his shin there were no pads, forcing him to protect his foot as best he could.
As he moved into organised cricket during his school years, Shepherd said his game looked different from what fans associate with him today. He pointed to his early batting role, saying that in his first match he scored 129 and batted through the full 40 overs, adding that there were no sixes in that innings. In that period, he said he was not yet a big hitter and that his focus was simply on locating and exploiting gaps.
Learning the all-round craft from Dwayne Bravo
Shepherd’s development through age-group cricket eventually pushed him toward becoming a more complete, multi-dimensional player. He said his inspiration was rooted in West Indies’ modern great Dwayne Bravo, describing how, whenever he listened to the radio, Bravo’s name would be heard in every department—batting, bowling, and fielding.
“I wanted to be like that guy,” Shepherd said, describing how the all-round impact he heard about became a target for his own game.
That white-ball breakthrough, according to Shepherd, arrived in 2018 during the Caribbean Premier League. He said the performances he produced that season quickly began to attract attention and that 2018 was the point when people started taking his white-ball cricket seriously. He explained that he began bowling a lot of yorkers and hitting the ball more effectively, and that even commentators such as Ian Bishop were suggesting he had something special.
Shepherd singled out a particular moment from that year as especially meaningful—his first ball faced from Bravo. He said he hit that delivery for six into the crowd, calling it a major personal moment because Bravo was someone he looked up to as an inspiration.
Joining RCB and the culture behind the franchise
Shepherd’s journey ultimately brought him into the IPL and into the Royal Challengers Bengaluru set-up. Reflecting on his childhood support, he said RCB stood out for many West Indian fans because Chris Gayle played there, and that he too watched the team with that connection in mind.
When discussing his time with the franchise, Shepherd spoke about the strong environment in the dressing room. He mentioned Tim David as “my guy” and also talked about teammates such as Salt and Bethell, while describing how he did not previously realise how funny Virat Kohli’s teammate VK was. Shepherd added that although Kohli can look extremely intense on the field, he is actually humorous off it.
He also stressed how senior players and the overall atmosphere make a difference. Shepherd said the group makes him happy, especially when he is away from home for long stretches, and described the squad as an unbelievable group both on and off the cricket ground. For him, the balance of experienced players alongside younger talent is a key part of why RCB’s dressing room works.
Global fan connection and the ‘family’ feeling
Beyond the day-to-day setup, Shepherd said representing RCB brings a unique connection with fans worldwide. He pointed out that RCB gave him the chance to go out and represent one of the biggest franchises in the IPL, and that the experience changes how people follow him.
Even when he is playing for West Indies in other parts of the world, Shepherd said people still chant “RCB, RCB”. He finished by describing what it feels like when he steps out to represent the franchise, saying it is more than just a team—adding that it feels like a family.
