However, his heroics weren't enough to help Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) secure a win on Wednesday night. Shepherd, bought for just Rs 1.5 crore in last year's IPL mega auction, had already become a household name after playing a key role in RCB's historic maiden IPL title earlier this year. Carrying that form into the CPL, the hard-hitting all-rounder once again stood tall under pressure. At the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, the Warriors found themselves struggling at 78 for 5. Shepherd counter-attacked in style, smashing an unbeaten 73 off 34 balls, decorated with 7 sixes and 5 fours, to lift his team to a competitive 202 for 6 in 20 overs. But despite the late surge, the defending champions St Lucia Kings, co-owned by Bollywood star Preity Zinta, pulled off a clinical chase. Ackeem Auguste was the star of the show for the Kings, hammering 73 from 35 balls and winning the Player of the Match award. Backed by a fiery start from Tim Seifert, the Kings raced to 86 runs in the powerplay, which effectively broke the back of the chase. They eventually overhauled the target in the 19th over, finishing on 202/6 to win by four wickets with 11 balls to spare. The result pushed the Kings to second place on the points table, with six points from five games, two of which ended without a result due to rain. For the Warriors, it was a frustrating loss after putting up a strong total. While Shepherd once again reminded fans of his destructive batting and match-winning potential, the match underlined a familiar truth in T20 cricket — individual brilliance can light up the night, but collective team effort decides the outcome.