Karun Nair made a sensational return to the Indian Premier League as he slammed a brilliant 40-ball 89 in the Delhi Capitals clash against Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Sunday, April 13. Nair returned to the Indian cash-rich league after three years and played a masterful knock as he nearly helped DC chase down 206.
His knock also included two sixes off Jasprit Bumrah, which is rare in T20 cricket too. Nair opened up on his mindset ahead of his IPL return when he was called in as an impact sub in the clash against MI.
"Honestly, I had the confidence that I've played [IPL] before and I know how it's going to be, and it's nothing different that I'm going to be facing anything new," Nair told reporters. "So, but in my mind, it was just about going out there and giving myself a few balls and just getting used to the speed of the game again and the atmosphere."
"So I just told myself, 'give yourself the time, play normal shots and then, you know, improvise when needed'. Fortunately, everything came off, and I'm happy that I batted well. But again, I would have loved that if the team had gone on to win," he added.
Nair highlighted Faf du Plessis' absence and stated that he was mentally ready for the challenge. "Look, obviously, we lost an important player in Faf, and we always knew - the few of us batters who are sitting outside who should be and have to be ready at any given time. So, mentally, I was ready, and obviously looking forward to the chance, whenever it came.
"I felt confident. I felt like, I'm well prepared to play in the IPL if given the opportunity. So it was all about me preparing the way that I've been all through the season and waiting for my chance. So I was doing my bit to prepare and be ready for the game.
"It's always a tough call for the team to pick 11 or 12 players, and I've always respected that. For me, it was about preparing and keeping the same process that I followed, which has worked for me, and just being ready to go out there and perform for the team," he added.