Karun Nair put on a show with the bat in Match 29 of the IPL 2025 season between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday (April 13).

Batting at No. 3 for the Capitals, Karun slammed 89 off 40 balls with the help of 12 boundaries and 5 sixes. However, his dismissal triggered a collapse as DC fell 12 runs short in the massive chase of 206.

The defeat against MI was a tough pill to swallow for Karun, who was playing in the cash-rich tournament for the first time since the 2022 season and gave his best to extend DC’s winning streak to five matches in a row.

Addressing the media after the game, Karun, who came in as an impact player and added 119 runs for the second wicket with Abhishek Porel, said his knock is of no value because his team failed to cross the line.

“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 told reporters.

“There is no point talking about my innings, because I played well, but I could not finish, so there is disappointment," he added.

The hosts were cruising at 119/1 in 10.1 overs, needing 87 runs to win from 59 balls. However, they ended up losing five wickets in as many overs and were reduced to 160/6 in 15.3 overs. The game ended dramatically as three consecutive run-outs in the penultimate over got DC bowled out for 193.

“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 remarked.

Karun, who grabbed headlines in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this year for his record-breaking exploits, 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 33-year-old said 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."

Karun Nair also spoke about his batting approach against Jasprit Bumrah, who he hammered for two boundaries 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."

Karun’s superb form 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 not thinking too far ahead.

“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."