Karun Nair's Costly Drop Sparks IPL 2026 Drama as Punjab Kings Chase Record 265
Delhi Capitals suffer crushing defeat as dropped catches prove decisive in highest successful run chase in IPL history
Quick Look
- Delhi Capitals suffered a crushing defeat to Punjab Kings in IPL 2026, with Karun Nair's dropped catches of Shreyas Iyer proving costly.
- Punjab completed a record-breaking chase of 265 runs with seven balls to spare, after Iyer smashed 71 off 36 balls following the reprieves.
- The 34-year-old Nair, whose old emotional post 'Dear cricket, give me one more chance' resurfaced, appeared visibly shaken as the game slipped away.
AI-generated summary
NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals' crushing defeat to Punjab Kings on Saturday in IPL 2026 has brought Karun Nair back into the spotlight, and not for the right reasons. As Punjab completed a record-breaking chase of 265 in Delhi, Nair endured a difficult night that quickly went viral, with fans resurfacing his old emotional post: "Dear cricket, give me one more chance."
The moment that defined the game came when Nair dropped Shreyas Iyer twice in quick succession. The first miss came off Vipraj Nigam's delivery in the 15th over, when a straightforward chance at long-off slipped through his hands. Just four balls later, he failed again, this time off Kuldeep Yadav's wrong'un, allowing Iyer another lifeline.
The impact was immediate and brutal. Iyer capitalised fully, smashing 71 off 36 balls to guide Punjab Kings to the highest successful run chase 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 blistering foundation with a 126-run opening stand.
For Nair, the missed chances proved costly, both on the scoreboard and emotionally. The 34-year-old appeared visibly shaken on the field, with cameras capturing his frustration as the game slipped away from Delhi Capitals.
The resurfacing of his old post has added another layer to the narrative, highlighting the rollercoaster journey of a player once on the brink of fading away.
Reflecting on that difficult phase in his career and that social media post in an interview with Daily Mail, Nair had recently said, "My wife was like what are you doing but I told her this is how I feel. That was probably the toughest moment of my life. This time, it felt like my world was over. I had no idea what to do next."