IPL explosive finisher R Shepherd has become the league’s go-to six-hitting all-rounder for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025. Across four IPL seasons with four different franchises—RCB, Mumbai Indians, Lucknow Super Giants and Sunrisers Hyderabad—Shepherd has muscled 185 runs at a jaw-dropping strike-rate of 212, clearing the ropes 17 times and finding the fence on 12 other occasions. His lone half-century, a 28-ball 53, showcased his ability to turn games in the death overs. While batting remains his headline act, Shepherd’s right-arm medium has quietly chipped in with 10 wickets from 15 bowling innings. Operating at an economy of 11.66 and a strike-rate of 21, he has twice returned with two-wicket bursts, providing crucial breakthroughs when captains need a momentum shift. From Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2022 to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025, Shepherd’s journey underlines a player trusted for his big-hitting prowess and handy overs—a modern T20 utility who can win matches with both bat and ball.

Suryakumar Yadav – the man universally known as “SKY” – has spent 13 electrifying IPL seasons turning the 22-yard strip into his personal launchpad. Across 151 innings he has blazed 4,311 runs from 2,900 balls, a strike-rate of 148 that underlines relentless aggression rather than mere accumulation. The right-hander has cleared the ropes 168 times and found the fence another 454 instances, giving him more than one boundary every fifth legal delivery he faces. Two centuries and 29 half-centuries – including a career-best 103 – sit on his résumé, proving that the pyrotechnics are backed by substance when the team needs a big knock. SKY’s journey began with Mumbai Indians in 2012, shifted to Kolkata Knight Riders for four productive years, then returned to the blue-and-gold in 2018. Since that homecoming he has worn the MI colours every single season up to 2025, becoming the heartbeat of the middle order at the Wankhede. With 4,311 runs he now sits among the league’s elite run-getters, and the fact that he has done it at a near-150 strike-rate makes the record even more formidable. Whether scooping over short fine-leg, sweeping fast bowlers, or muscling sixes into the stands, Suryakumar Yadav has re-defined 360-degree batting in the IPL and shows no signs of slowing down.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.