Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Karun Nair has hit the headlines for his eye-grabbing knock of 89 off 40 for Delhi Capitals (DC) against Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 contest. The right-handed batter is making a comeback in the distinguished league after three years. Before this appearance, the Vidarbha player last played for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in 2022. In the 2025 IPL auction held in Jeddah, DC showed faith in him and splurged INR 50 Lakh to reserve his services for the season. After warming benches in the first four games, he finally got the chance as an Impact Player against the Men In Blue. The 33-year-old replaced pacer Mukesh Kumar in the squad.
Chasing a massive target of 206 runs, when DC lost their opener Jake Fraser-McGurk on the first delivery of the innings, Nair stepped up and showcased his belligerent side. Confronting 40 balls, he smashed 89 runs. His innings was studded with 17 boundaries (12 fours and five maximums). His innings concluded in the 12th over, when Mitchell Santner cleaned him up. Nair’s innings has impressed cricket fans as they can be seen expressing their respect for him on X. “Karun Nair - The Best Indian domestic batsman finally getting what he deserves. All he needed was a chance and today he 'Capitalised' it,” wrote a user named Sagar on X.
MI displayed fighting spirit in the first innings
Earlier in the game, MI showcased courage and amassed 205/5 on the board. Tilak Varma, who was struggling to score runs at a swift pace, looked in fine touch and emerged as the highest run-getter for MI in the innings. The left-handed batter faced 33 balls and hit 59 runs with nine boundaries (six fours and three maximums).
Naman Dhir also took DC’s bowling unit to the cleaners in the final overs of the innings and played a rapid innings of an unbeaten 38 off just 17. It was his batting effort that helped Mumbai cross the 200-run mark.
