Despite scoring a huge score of 264 runs in 20 overs, Delhi Capitals (DC) failed to defend it against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The outcome of the match could have been different if Karun Nair had dropped not one but two catches of PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer. The second drop catch was a sitter.
Former Team India cricketer Virender Sehwag was absolutely furious at Nair as he cannot tolerate such silly mistakes which led to the match.
Karun Nair proved to be the villain for Delhi Capitals
In the 15th over of the second innings, DC’s substitute fielder Karun Nair dropped a full sitter. When Iyer was dropped from the team for the second time, he was 29 years old. The first catch from Nair was dropped in 14.6 overs.
Karun Nair came in as a substitute fielder for Delhi Capitals. Sehwag said that a fielder who is not getting match time should prepare himself for every opportunity. Since Karun Nair was not in the playing combination, he should have done his best to take advantage of the opportunity to prove his importance in the team.
“This is absolutely not acceptable. First of all, you are not getting matches. And now, when you have a chance as a fielder, at least do some fielding. If you drop catches there too, the captain will think that since he has dropped catches, we should not pick him,” Virender Sehwag said while speaking to Cricbuzz.
Virender Shewag explained the job of a batsman
Karun Nair is a proven batsman, especially in the longer formats of the game. Reminding, Sehwag said that a batsman’s job is not just to score runs but also to contribute by taking catches and running out.
“It all happens. Just because you are a batsman, batting is not your only job. Taking catches and completing run-outs is also your job. Sorry to say, but Karun Nair, you just came to field, dropped two catches and because of those two drops you lost the game,” he further said in the statement.
Former cricketer asked DC to remove Nair
The former opening batsman, who is now a cricket expert, further explained that if Nair is a regular batsman in the playing eleven, he can ignore those two drop chances. But since he is a bench player, he would not think twice in dropping Nair from the team.
Virender Sehwag said, “If I am the captain and he is a very important player and drops two catches, then I can ignore it. But if he is not in the playing eleven and asks me for a chance, then I will say that you are not playing because of dropping catches.”
Last season, the middle-order batsman scored 198 runs in 8 matches, which included a highest score of 89. In IPL 2025, Nair’s batting average and strike rate were 24.75 and 172.17 respectively. In the current season, he has played only one match so far for Delhi Capitals, in which only 5 runs have come from his bat.
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