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In his first match of the ongoing IPL 2025 season, Karun Nair came out to bat at No. 3 for Delhi Capitals against Mumbai Indians and scored 89 runs from 40 balls with the help of 12 fours and 5 sixes.
Karun Nair celebrates after completing his half-century against Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025 match played at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, April 13. (Picture Credit: Sportzpics)
Karun Nair played one of the best IPL knocks of all time on Sunday evening at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi for Delhi Capitals, but his 40-ball 89-run knock went in vain as the Axar Patel-led side suffered a shocking mid-innings collapse against the Mumbai Indians and went on to lose the match by 12 runs. The defeat against MI was a bitter pill to swallow for Karun, who was playing in the world’s richest franchise cricket league for the first time since the 2022 season and gave his best to extend DC’s winning run to five matches in a row.
While speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference at Feroz Shah Kotla ground, the 33-year-old right-handed batter, who came in as an impact player on Sunday and added 119 runs for the second wicket with Abhishek Porel, said that his knock is of no value because his team failed to win the match.
“We play to win the match, so there is disappointment. And no matter how much we score, if the team does not win, then there is no value of it. For me, the team’s win was very important, and it did not happen. But it’s a learning, and we will go forward, and I hope I will keep performing like this, and we will win,” Karun said.
“There is no point talking about my innings, because I played well, but I could not finish, so there is disappointment,” he added.
Delhi was cruising at 119 for 1 in 10.1 overs but then the home team suffered a shocking collapse and lost the next nine batters for just 73 runs.
According to Karun, his team lost wickets at regular intervals, and that changed the game, but he also gave credit to MI bowlers for putting the home team under pressure.
“Obviously, it was easier for the set batsman to play than for the new batsman. So it was very important for a set batter to continue. We lost wickets at regular intervals, so it was difficult for us in the end. But having said that, they (MI) also bowled well and put us under pressure,” Karun said.
“We were not able to stitch partnerships, which is important in T20. But that happens because we are all looking to score runs quickly, and like I said before, it’s a learning, and we have to take this forward in the next games and keep up the winning momentum that we have,” he added.
‘Mentally I was ready’
Karun, who made headlines in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year for his superb batting show for Vidarbha, had to wait for four matches to play an IPL match this year, and the opportunity came his way on Sunday because of an unfortunate injury to Faf du Plessis.
The right-handed batter, who has also served as DC captain in the past, said that he was mentally ready and looking forward to getting the chance and is happy that he made the opportunity count.
“Look, obviously, we lost an important player in Faf, and we always knew there were a few of us who were sitting outside who are batsmen who should be and have to be ready at any given time. So mentally I was ready and looking forward to the chance whenever it came. So I am really happy that I got the opportunity. It’s about me now, going out there and capitalising on that opportunity.”
During the presser, the 33-year-old was also asked about his batting approach against Jasprit Bumrah, who he hammered for two fours in the fourth over of the run chase and two sixes and one four in the last over of the powerplay.
“Obviously, I was confident, and I was playing; I was in the flow, and I didn’t want to stop the flow, so it was about picking the right balls and playing to the areas that I wanted to play, and he is the best bowler at the moment in world cricket, so I had to be very watchful of where he is going to bowl, but again, I just backed myself and backed the areas that I wanted to score.”
‘Fully focused on IPL’
Karun’s superb batting performances in the recent months have raised calls for his India call-up, but to him, the IPL is the only tournament he is focusing on right now, and he is not thinking too much about the future.
“In my mind, right now this tournament (IPL) is going on, and the way I performed well in the season, I feel that I should continue, and whatever consistency I’m showing, keep doing that and don’t think too much about the future. Think about each and every match and treat every day as a new day. For me, right now, the most important thing is that whatever opportunities I get, I have to fully utilise them, and whatever happens in the future will be seen, but for now I’m focused on every match.”
