Karun did not try to hit every ball hard. He had a proper plan.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match between Delhi Capitals (DC) and Mumbai Indians (MI) gave fans one of the most thrilling moments of the season. The contest between Karun Nair and Jasprit Bumrah was the biggest highlight.
Although Delhi lost the game by 12 runs, Karun’s eye-catching 89-run knock in only 40 balls stole the limelight. What made it even more special was the way he played so intelligently against one of the world’s best bowler.
Karun did not try to hit every ball hard. He had a proper plan. While facing Bumrah, he moved a little towards the leg side before the ball was bowled, as explained by X analyst @BishOnTheRockX. This helped him make room to play his shots on the off side, which made it harder for Bumrah to bowl in his normal areas.
One of the best moments came when Bumrah bowled a ball aimed at Karun’s body. Karun was prepared and flicked it over deep square leg for a six. It was a perfectly timed shot, not an aimless one, which revealed how composed and concentrated he was in the heat of the moment.
In that over, Karun scored 18 runs off Bumrah, which included two sixes and a four. He handled both the fast and slower balls comfortably. He stayed calm, read the deliveries early, and kept the runs coming by hitting into the gaps.
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Karun played wisely against Deepak Chahar in the same match too as explained by the same analyst on Twitter (or X). Against Chahar, he moved towards the off side to create opportunities on the leg side.
Chahar is known for his swing, but Karun’s footwork made it tough for him to stick to his plan. These moves showed how well Karun was thinking during his innings.
He continued scoring with a combination of boundaries and sixes. Although Delhi lost the match, his courageous and intelligent batting against Bumrah was the talking point. He did not only aim to survive but he accepted the challenge and played fearless cricket.
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