Karun Nair’s Brilliant 89 marked a sensational return to the IPL after nearly three years, as he played one of the most electrifying innings of the season against Mumbai Indians in Delhi on April 6, 2025. Walking in as an Impact Substitute for the injured Faf du Plessis, Karun Nair wasted no time in making his presence felt. He smashed a breathtaking 89 runs off just 40 balls, putting on a stunning show at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Karun Nair’s Brilliant 89 included a fiery assault on Jasprit Bumrah, scoring 26 runs off just 9 balls against the ace pacer.
Karun Nair’s Brilliant 89: Returns in Style, Stuns Bumrah and Mumbai Indians
The 33-year-old, playing his first IPL match in 1,077 days, walked in early after the fall of KL Rahul and wasted no time. Karun Nair’s Brilliant 89 began with a stunning assault in the final over of the PowerPlay, facing Jasprit Bumrah. He opened with a pair of off-side boundaries, followed it up with an 83-metre six flicked effortlessly over deep backward square, then sliced one for four and finished the over with a majestic six over long-off — all against a bewildered Bumrah.
Bumrah’s opening spell ended with figures of 2-0-29-0 — with Karun alone scoring 26 off him, a key passage during Karun Nair’s Brilliant 89. Even MI captain Hardik Pandya was seen applauding from the dugout. The Delhi Capitals dugout roared as Karun raised his 22-ball half-century during the strategic timeout, but not before a tense moment when he bumped into Bumrah while completing a brace.
Despite Delhi chasing 206, Karun’s 59-minute stay made the impossible look possible. His brutal 89 came with 6 fours and 6 sixes, giving DC a solid launchpad before a middle-order collapse resulted in a 12-run loss. But the real takeaway was Karun’s fearless strokeplay and composure.
Karun’s path back to the IPL was anything but easy. After being unsold and out of IPL action for two seasons, he returned on the back of a stellar domestic season. Karun Nair’s Brilliant 89 in the league was a reflection of his red-hot form — he was the highest run-scorer in the 2024 Vijay Hazare Trophy with 779 runs (5 hundreds), and had an explosive Syed Mushtaq Ali season with 255 runs at a strike rate of 177. In the Maharaja Trophy, his 560 runs came at a staggering strike rate of 181.82.
Despite that form, Karun was overlooked in DC’s playing XI for the first four matches. Even on Sunday, he was second in the list of Impact Subs behind Sameer Rizvi. But when the opportunity arrived, Karun made sure his bat did the talking. Promoted at No. 3, ahead of in-form KL Rahul, he silenced any doubts with an innings for the ages.
Speaking after the game, Karun said, “I felt confident. I prepared well all season and was waiting for this moment. I knew if I got a chance, I could perform. I’m just happy to bat well, even though I’d have loved it more if we had won.”
His mature words matched his mature innings. Calm, calculated, and confident, Karun not only revived his IPL career but also sent a strong message to selectors. With Karun Nair’s brilliant 89 lighting up the game, he proved that years after pleading for “one more chance,” he’s now made a strong case for many more.
At 33, Karun Nair’s Brilliant 89 serves as a testament to his patience and perseverance in making a comeback. Whether Faf returns or not, Delhi Capitals now have a happy selection headache, and Indian cricket might just have one more story of redemption in the making.
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