Runs have rained relentlessly from Karun Nair’s bat in home cricket for the previous few months. For Delhi Capitals in the IPL on the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, Karun’s purple patch was on additional proof. That the 33-year-old was enjoying his first IPL recreation in three years didn’t matter as he produced a scintillating 40-ball 89 in opposition to Mumbai Indians in a run chase of 206. Agonisingly for Karun, nevertheless, DC imploded after his exit, shedding its final seven wickets for 58 runs in 44 balls to undergo a 12-run defeat.
Karun, who was cooling his heels for the primary 4 video games of DC’s marketing campaign, had the host in the driving seat until the time he was in the center. After 11 overs, DC was 128 for two, requiring one other 78 runs from 54 balls. It took one thing particular for Nair to be dislodged. Mitchell Santner was the person to prise out the important thing scalp in the twelfth over, getting one to pitch on center stump and switch simply sufficient to take off-pole. The recreation turned on its head from thereon.
Karun’s assault in opposition to Jasprit Bumrah inside the primary six overs had been breathtaking. The spearhead is seldom meted out tough remedy, however his first two overs on Sunday went for 29 runs as he performed photographs of the very best high quality. That he had ample time at hand was evident when he backed away and performed an inside-out drive over cowl for 4. When the size was a tad shorter, he carved the ball by level for the identical end result.
In Bumrah’s subsequent over, the DC batter unfurled extra magic. Off a size ball angled at his physique, Karun’s sturdy wrists got here into play to ship the ball hovering over the square-leg boundary for six. Four balls later, he lofted over covers for one other most. By this stage, Karun’s regal starting in opposition to Trent Boult – he caressed three fours in the left-armer’s opening over – was a mere footnote.
On a floor that didn’t take lengthy to disclose its batting-friendly character, Tilak Varma had led the best way for MI with the bat earlier in the night with a 33-ball 59.
Brief Scores:-
Mumbai Indians: 205 for 5 in 20 overs (Tilak Varma 59; Kuldeep Yadav 2/23, Vipraj Nigam 2/41).
Delhi Capitals: 193 all out in 19 overs (Karun Nair 89; Karn Sharma 3/36).
Published – April 13, 2025 07:53 pm IST
