Playing his first full match for Mumbai Indians after being brought in as an impact player in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Shepherd knew that this was probably the best opportunity he got and he should make it count.
He scored 32 runs in the order of 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 in the final over bowled by Anrich Nortje in a brilliant display of power-hitting, taking Mumbai Indians to 234/5 in 20 overs. , They then defended the total strongly, restricting Delhi Capitals to 205/8 in 20 overs despite half-centuries from Prithvi Shaw (66 off 40 balls) and Tristan Stubbs (7 off 25).
The 29-year-old player has played for several T20 franchises
, Chittogram Challengers, Guyanese Amazon Warriors and Joburg Super Kings in addition to the West Indies national team.
"Yeah, you know, you said about playing for a few teams, so obviously when I got a chance to come out and represent Mumbai Indians, it was a big thing for me. So in the back of my mind, Back then, I was saying that whatever opportunity I get, I will try to take advantage of it.I knew a few balls could change things. So knew that once I go there, I have to try as hard as I can, especially in the last few balls," Shepherd said in Sunday's post-match press conference.
"So I just keep a clear mind and try to hit every ball. So it's good to see it went well for me today. It's the most we've hit against a top bowler, especially in one over." Is.So that was awesome. It was a great feeling, at first,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd said he respects Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Polar and is happy to do something that the senior batsman has done many times for top teams.
-Strike.
“Yes, I have appreciated him for doing great things for Mumbai, like what I did today. So, you know, when I got the call that I was going to play today, before I went out he told me Told me to bat to express myself.
“So obviously I went there with a clear mindset, knowing that the coaching staff is supporting me,” the 29-year-old said.And then the captain also said the same to me and I went out there and did what was expected of me." Old from Guyana.
'The role of finisher is difficult'
Shepherd said the role of a finisher in T20 cricket is difficult as one gets a bit of a chance to acclimatise to the conditions and execute one's shots.
“Everyone wants to bat a bit and get used to the situation a bit before they start hitting. But whenever you are in the 17th over, you go in with a clear mind because there is no going back,” Shepherd said after the match.
“Whenever you're in that kind of role you're even more dangerous, you just have to hit the ball because when you see 'hit-the-ball', it's more about being tentative and looking for others. And there are still two,” he said.“You play a little bit tentative there and maybe you capitalize incorrectly on some deliveries that you would normally hit. But when you are at the end and there are only 1 balls, you will face only seven, eight or nine of them. You have to maximize it and try to hit it as much as possible,'' he said.
“Especially in the finishing role, there is a lot of pressure on us because everyone expects us to go out there and hit sixes. Some days it will stop, some days it will not stop. Like today it stops, the next day, you never know it won't stop,” he added.'Still feeling like sinking'
Shepherd said there is still work to improve on from what he accomplished on Sunday and said the win is more important to him.
“It's not over yet, you know, what I did today because first of all the win was more important than anything else today because we were in a bad position as a team, so we needed the win. And The coach and everyone was telling someone to be a hero, raise their hand and perform well and obviously today I did well,” said the West Indies batsman.
He scored 32 runs in the order of 4, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6 in the final over bowled by Anrich Nortje in a brilliant display of power-hitting, taking Mumbai Indians to 234/5 in 20 overs. , They then defended the total strongly, restricting Delhi Capitals to 205/8 in 20 overs despite half-centuries from Prithvi Shaw (66 off 40 balls) and Tristan Stubbs (7 off 25).
The 29-year-old player has played for several T20 franchises
, Chittogram Challengers, Guyanese Amazon Warriors and Joburg Super Kings in addition to the West Indies national team.
"Yeah, you know, you said about playing for a few teams, so obviously when I got a chance to come out and represent Mumbai Indians, it was a big thing for me. So in the back of my mind, Back then, I was saying that whatever opportunity I get, I will try to take advantage of it.I knew a few balls could change things. So knew that once I go there, I have to try as hard as I can, especially in the last few balls," Shepherd said in Sunday's post-match press conference.
"So I just keep a clear mind and try to hit every ball. So it's good to see it went well for me today. It's the most we've hit against a top bowler, especially in one over." Is.So that was awesome. It was a great feeling, at first,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd said he respects Mumbai Indians batting coach Kieron Polar and is happy to do something that the senior batsman has done many times for top teams.
-Strike.
“Yes, I have appreciated him for doing great things for Mumbai, like what I did today. So, you know, when I got the call that I was going to play today, before I went out he told me Told me to bat to express myself.
“So obviously I went there with a clear mindset, knowing that the coaching staff is supporting me,” the 29-year-old said.And then the captain also said the same to me and I went out there and did what was expected of me." Old from Guyana.
'The role of finisher is difficult'
Shepherd said the role of a finisher in T20 cricket is difficult as one gets a bit of a chance to acclimatise to the conditions and execute one's shots.
“Everyone wants to bat a bit and get used to the situation a bit before they start hitting. But whenever you are in the 17th over, you go in with a clear mind because there is no going back,” Shepherd said after the match.
“Whenever you're in that kind of role you're even more dangerous, you just have to hit the ball because when you see 'hit-the-ball', it's more about being tentative and looking for others. And there are still two,” he said.“You play a little bit tentative there and maybe you capitalize incorrectly on some deliveries that you would normally hit. But when you are at the end and there are only 1 balls, you will face only seven, eight or nine of them. You have to maximize it and try to hit it as much as possible,'' he said.
“Especially in the finishing role, there is a lot of pressure on us because everyone expects us to go out there and hit sixes. Some days it will stop, some days it will not stop. Like today it stops, the next day, you never know it won't stop,” he added.'Still feeling like sinking'
Shepherd said there is still work to improve on from what he accomplished on Sunday and said the win is more important to him.
“It's not over yet, you know, what I did today because first of all the win was more important than anything else today because we were in a bad position as a team, so we needed the win. And The coach and everyone was telling someone to be a hero, raise their hand and perform well and obviously today I did well,” said the West Indies batsman.
