NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals’ crushing defeat to Punjab Kings in IPL 2026 on Saturday brought Karun Nair back into the limelight and not for the right reasons. As Punjab completed their record chase of 265 in Delhi, Nair had a rough night which quickly went viral and fans rediscovered his old emotional post: “Dear cricket, give me one more chance.”The game-defining moment came when Nair dropped Shreyas Iyer twice in quick succession.
Watch
Justin Langer on LSG’s batting failure and opening team bowlingThe first error was Vipraj Nigam’s serve in the 15th shootout when he missed a straightforward chance for a long lunge. He failed again just four balls later, this time outside Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong’un, allowing Iyer another lifeline.The impact was immediate and brutal. Iyer took full advantage, smashing 71 off 36 balls to guide Punjab Kings to the most successful run in IPL history, reaching the target with seven balls to spare. Earlier, explosive knocks from Prabhsimran Singh (76 off 26) and Priyansh Arya (43 off 17) had already laid a tumultuous foundation with a 126-run opening stand.For Nair, the missed chances proved costly, both on the scoreboard and emotionally. The 34-year-old looked visibly shaken on the field and the cameras caught his frustration as the game slipped away from the Delhi Capitals.The rediscovery of his old post added another layer to the narrative and highlighted the roller-coaster journey of a player who was on the verge of fading. Reflecting on this difficult phase of his career and social media post in an interview with the Daily Mail, Nair recently said, “My wife was like what are you doing, but I told her that’s how I feel. That was probably the hardest moment of my life. This time I felt like my world was ending. I had no idea what to do next.”
