Delhi Capitals player Karun Nair faced significant online backlash after failing to secure two straightforward catches of Punjab Kings leader Shreyas Iyer during a high-scoring IPL 2026 encounter. These errors occurred within four deliveries, allowing Iyer to continue batting and contribute to his team’s successful pursuit of a 265-run target on a batsman-friendly pitch. Nair missed the first opportunity at long-off when Iyer was on 28, and the second at long-on when he was on 35. Iyer capitalized on the reprieves, finishing unbeaten on 71 from 36 deliveries.
After the match at Arun Jaitley Stadium, supporters revived an old social media message from Nair in 2022, where he wrote, ‘Dear cricket, give me one more chance.’ This led to widespread mockery online.
Examples of reactions included posts highlighting the irony of his plea, with some users suggesting cricket should withhold further opportunities from him, and others noting his journey from a Test triple century to current struggles.
The first drop happened when Iyer mishit a shot from Vipraj Nigam to long-off, and Nair could not complete the catch despite positioning himself well. Shortly after, Iyer mishit another delivery from Kuldeep Yadav to long-on, but Nair failed to hold on again.
Iyer has performed exceptionally for Punjab Kings this season, accumulating 279 runs across seven matches and six innings, with an average of 69.75 and a strike rate of 186.00. His tally includes four half-centuries, with a highest score of 71 not out. Since joining the team last year, he has scored 886 runs in 24 matches and 23 innings, averaging 55.18 with a strike rate of 178.38, featuring 10 half-centuries and signaling a notable improvement in his T20 performance.
(With inputs from ANI)
