Incredible story of resilience, belief, and sheer hard work: Robin Uthappa hails Karun Nair following his brilliant knock

Karun Nair smashed 89 runs from 40 balls, which came with the help of 12 fours and five sixes at a staggering strike rate of 222.5.

Speaking on Kuhl Fans Match Centre Live on JioHotstar, JioStar expert Robin Uthappaon said on Nair's knock, "An incredible story of resilience, belief, and sheer hard work. A few years ago, I remember him talking about his future, unsure of where he stood. He left Karnataka, moved to Vidarbha, had a solid first season, and followed it up with a phenomenal domestic run--800s, 900s across formats--and led his side to a Ranji Trophy title. To come back and play innings like this in the IPL is inspirational. It doesn't matter if the world doubts you--as long as you believe and take that one step forward, the path unfolds. That's the story of Karun Nair."

Further, Robin Uthappa acknowledged leg spinner Karn Sharma's determination and impactful return to the field. The seasoned leg spinner returned with figures of 3/36 in MI's 12-run triumph, their second of the season.

"Imagine being Karn Sharma--out of the playing XI for over a year, and this game being your shot at a comeback. The pressure is immense because if it doesn't go well, you might be sidelined again. To perform in that scenario and make it count is truly commendable. He seized the opportunity brilliantly," the former cricketer added.

A memorable 89-run knock by Karun Nair on his Indian Premier League (IPL) comeback went in vain. An unbelievable batting collapse towards the end, which included a hat-trick of run-outs, cost Delhi Capitals (DC) a win against Mumbai Indians (MI) in their first game of the season at Delhi's Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday by 12 runs.

With this win, DC's four-match winning streak was broken, and they are in second place. MI has moved to seventh place with two wins and four losses.