The host broadcaster has named the IPL the Indian Possible League. No one has done justice to this tagline better than Karun Nair. Hardik Pandya was right when he said the way Karun was batting, Mumbai Indians (MI) were running out of options the other night in Delhi. In fact, the transformation of Karun and his zeal to chase excellence is a life lesson for everyone. No one has played Jasprit Bumrah better, and his 89 was one of the best innings of this IPL.
Karun hasn’t had the luck of the draw go his way. To be left out of the Test team after scoring a triple-hundred was a tough pill to swallow. Things did not go his way thereafter and others managed to steal a march over him. It is very easy to give up. Call it a day, and take up other options like commentary or blogging or writing. As a Test player, you have many options before you at the moment. Karun, however, chose the hardest of all. Trying to make a comeback, which will define him as a player.
In domestic cricket, he elevated his game to a very different level in 2024-25. Even Sachin Tendulkar commented on his unbelievable consistency. A stellar Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) opened the Delhi Capitals’ (DC) doors for him, and yet again, Karun was back in the IPL. While his efforts in domestic cricket were simply breathtaking, the IPL, one has to admit, is a very different ball game.
The cumulative audience for all domestic games wouldn’t equal that for the MI-DC match. A rivalry of epic proportions, with the returning Bumrah adding further flavour to it. Chasing over 200, Karun was under pressure from ball one. Or was he? From what we witnessed that night at the Arun Jaitley stadium, it seemed like he had just carried his SMAT form into the IPL. Shots all around the park and, in all honesty, Karun had taken the game by the scruff of the neck. It was his and only his at one point.
Also Read Watch: Rohit Sharma’s reaction to Karun Nair and Jasprit Bumrah’s heated exchange during DC vs MI
Yes, DC did not win and MI made a very special comeback. But nothing takes away from the efforts of Karun. He set the stage on fire and is now, at least for me, an added attraction to watch every Delhi game. If someone can play Bumrah with such confidence, it is natural he will be closely watched. And who knows, Karun might just push the button to open the national-team doors one more time. His efforts in the Indian Possible League could just make that happen.
For the moment, it will again be about Karun tonight. Against Rajasthan Royals (RR), he will have one more opportunity to drive the point home. In sport, it is never say never and Karun is a very real example. No number of failures managed to push him back, for the desire was always to make it back and make it count. For DC, nothing could be better. In Karun, they have someone who is desperate to prove a point. And by doing so, he could make it a memorable season for the Capitals. For every fan, the Karun Nair story is also the tale of the IPL – everything is possible.
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