"There's no value...": Karun Nair calls his innings in DC vs MI clash USELESS

Karun Nair made a brilliant comeback to the Indian Premier League with a stunning knock of 89 runs from just 40 balls for Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Playing his first IPL match since 2022, Karun Nair’s innings was one of the best of the ongoing IPL 2025 season, but sadly, it wasn’t enough to carry his team to victory against the Mumbai Indians.

Despite a strong start and a solid 119-run partnership between Karun and Abhishek Porel (33), Delhi Capitals faced a shocking collapse while chasing a 206-run target set by Mumbai Indians in the 29th game of the ongoing IPL 2025 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, April 13.

Karun Nair shines on IPL comeback, but Delhi Capitals fall short against Mumbai Indians

From a solid position at 119 for 1, DC lost their next nine wickets for just 73 runs, eventually falling short by 12 runs against the MI. The middle and lower orders couldn’t hold on after the top-order performance, and MI made the most of the situation with tight bowling and clever field placements.

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It was Delhi’s first defeat in the ongoing 2025 season. It was a tough result for both DC and Karun. Despite making a strong comeback in the world’s biggest franchise league, Nair was disappointed, saying his individual success didn’t matter to him as his team lost the game.

There is disappointment: Karun Nair on his stunning comeback

Karun Nair said at the post-match presentation, “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 in 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. There is no point talking about my innings because I played well, but I could not finish, so there is disappointment.”

The right-handed batter felt Delhi Capitals lost the game because they kept losing wickets one after another, and that made it tough for them to stay in control of the chase against the five-time IPL champions.

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Karun Nair praises MI's bowling as DC failed to stitch partnerships in the IPL 2025 clash

However, Nair hailed the way MI bowlers handled the situation, saying they bowled smartly and created pressure, which made it even harder for the DC batters to settle.

He added, “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.”

Nair signed off by saying, “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 experience, and we have to take this forward in the next games and keep up the winning momentum that we have.”