'Incredible story of resilience and belief': Uthappa hails Karun Nair's 89 on IPL comeback

Nair, who was playing his first IPL match since 2022, grabbed the opportunity with both hands in his first game of the season. He smashed 12 fours and five sixes, keeping Delhi alive in the 206 chase. The home side lost the plot in the 19th over bowled by Jasprit Bumrah as they lost three wickets on the last three balls of the over to lose the game by 12 runs.

It was Delhi's first loss of the season after four consecutive wins. After the loss, they have moved down to the second spot with eight points and a slightly poorer net run rate than top-placed Gujarat Titans.

"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 an innings like this in the IPL, it’s 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," Uthappa said on JioHotstar.

“The only word to describe 19th over is mayhem. It had everything - two boundaries to start with, then that run-out, which was inches close. A brilliant throw from Will Jacks. Then Kuldeep - I'm not sure why he ran for two with mid-off inside the circle when a six was needed. Again, just inches short. And that ball from Santner - what a beauty. Off-balance, in the air, quick, and straight on the stumps. It was a testament to how badly everyone wanted the win.

"It wasn’t just one or two players—every single one gave it their all. They got Abishek Porel's wicket, then Karun Nair’s, and suddenly, two new batters at the crease. Add a ball change in the mix, and suddenly the game was wide open," he added.

On Karn Sharma’s impactful return to the field, Uthappa acknowledged the bowler’s determination and said, “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.”