3 reasons why Mumbai Indians trading in Romario Shepherd for IPL 2024 is the right move

Lucknow Super Giants have traded West Indian all-rounder Romario Shepherd to Mumbai Indians ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, which will be held on December 19 in Dubai.

The 28-year-old did not get a lot of game time for the Super Giants in the IPL last season, ending up with just one match under his belt. It is believed that this move was facilitated by Shepherd himself, who must be looking for more game time.

Mumbai Indians will welcome this arrival as it will give them someone who can provide a bit of depth in the lower middle order. Shepherd's abilities with the ball in hand will not go unnoticed either.

He is renowned for bowling comfortably with the new ball and later on with good accuracy with the older one. Having played in 25 ODIs and 31 T20Is for the West Indies, the Guyana national will feel welcome in the Mumbai Indians setup.

In this listicle, we give you three reasons why the Indians trading Shepherd in is a good move:

#1 His strike-rate is beyond brilliant

It goes without saying that Shepherd is a brilliant T20 cricketer. His strike rate in the 31 T20Is he has played in his career is a whopping 153 whereas in T20 cricket in general, it is at 150.

Shepherd has a very specific role in any side that he plays for - to hit the ball a long way in the lower middle order and hit the deck hard when bowling. He has turned out for a lot of franchises across the world and has been fairly successful for them.

Shepherd also has 109 wickets to his name in T20 cricket and will add to the depth of the Mumbai Indians team. His ability to bowl comfortably both with the new as well as the old ball is what makes him stand apart from his competitors.

#2 He will play a critical role in the lower-middle order

Romario Shepherd batting against England.

Mumbai Indians do not have any all-rounders who can bat in the lower-middle order and hit the ball a long way. Cameron Green, the only other recognized all-rounder in the squad, prefers to bat at the top of the order.

Shepherd can provide a lot of quality and depth for the Indians at that number (that is, number six or seven.) He is renowned for hitting the ball a long way and can fulfil the role that Kieron Pollard used to do for the franchise in his heyday.

If he manages to do so, he will be able to ingratiate himself with the fanbase quite quickly.

#3 His experience will come in handy

Rimario Shepherd in action in the CPL.

Shepherd won the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with the Guyana Amazon Warriors in September this year. He is a familiar face in the T20 circuit around the world.

This means that he has enough experience to know how to handle dire situations well in the shortest format of the game. He played just one game for the Lucknow Super Giants last season, against Sunrisers Hyderabad where he got out for a zero and did not bowl a single over.

The West Indian all-rounder was also one of the direct signings made by the Joburg Super Kings ahead of the inaugural SA20 auction. His experience will only aid the Mumbai Indians as they chase for another IPL trophy to put in their cabinet.