R Ashwin backs Karun Nair after costly falls (Image: Screengrab) Punjab Kings made the most successful run in the history of IPL as they chased down 265 against Delhi Capitals in Delhi. But it was a night of missed opportunities and visible heartbreak for Karun Nair. Nair endured a tough outing in the field, dropping Shreyas Iyer twice in the space of four balls, mistakes that proved crucial in the context of the game.The first chance came on the final ball of the 15th over when Vipraj Nigam induced a mistimed lofted shot from Iyer towards long-on. Nair settled comfortably under him but spilled what looked like a straight catch. The reaction spoke volumes, Nigam dropped to the ground in disbelief as he knew a crucial opportunity had presented itself.
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“We didn’t play good cricket” – Mahela Jayawardene after MI’s biggest IPL loss vs CSKJust four balls later, Iyer got another lifeline. On the second ball of the 16th over, Kuldeep Yadav fooled him with a mistake. The ball went past the top edge and ballooned towards long-on, but Nair, again perfectly placed, didn’t hold on.After the second drop, Nair looked visibly shaken, almost on the verge of tears, as Delhi let the game slip away. Iyer made the most of his reprieve and played a match-winning knock of 71 off 36 balls to steer Punjab Kings home with seven balls to spare, sealing the historic chase.Despite the costly errors, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has given Nair strong support and offered a measured view of his struggles.Ashwin said on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat:“I’ll tell you the Karun Nair situation. When a player knows he’s not in the playing XI, he usually finds out at least a day in advance. Players who are dropped or rested often go to the gym or do extra training on match days to stay fit, knowing the next day could be a travel day with night flights and limited training time. So maybe Karun Nair was probably off with fatigue, but he could switch mentally.” I’m not making excuses for training, but for a substitute to suddenly step into the intensity of the game, these things can happen,” Ashwin said.”He dropped one catch and his confidence went down after that. Karun is actually a fabulous fielder; I have seen him very reliable in first-class and red-ball cricket, especially in close-in positions. Rarely have I seen him drop such catches but today was just one of those days,” added Ashwin.
