Punjab Kings rewrote history by chasing down the highest-ever total in the Indian Premier League when they overhauled Delhi Capitals’ 265-run target at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday to remain the only unbeaten side this season.
KL Rahul’s career-best knock of 152 went in vain as PBKS’ top order fired all guns blazing to chase down the target in just 18.5 overs. Skipper Shreyas Iyer played a captain’s knock and scored 71 off 36, taking his team to their sixth win of IPL 2026. However, Iyer was also given two reprieves, and on both occasions, the costly mistake was made by substitute fielder Karun Nair.
Nair, who was brought into the field to cover for his good friend and statesman Rahul after the latter was struggling with cramps, dropped Iyer at long-on in the 15th over when Vipraj Nigam was bowling. Just three balls after that, Nair again dropped Iyer in the 16th over, which eventually proved too costly for Delhi, who lost their fourth game of the season.
Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag slammed Nair’s fielding efforts. He said when given a “chance as a fielder, at least do some fielding.”
Sehwag said on Cricbuzz, “Sorry to say, but Karun Nair, you came in just to field, dropped two catches, and because of those two drops, you lost the game. If I am the captain, and he is a very important player, and drops two catches, I can ignore that. But if he is not in the playing XI, and asks me for a chance, I will say that you are not playing because of the dropped catches. He will not have any answer for that.”
“It is just not acceptable. Firstly, you are not getting matches. And now when you have a chance as a fielder, at least do some fielding. If you drop catches even there, then the captain will think that since he dropped catches, let us not pick him. All of this happens. Just because you are a batter, batting is not your only job. Picking catches and completing run outs are also your jobs,” he added.
Even DC skipper Axar Patel was frustrated by his team’s efforts in the field and was vocal in his criticism.
“Looking at the kind of wicket, if you don’t support your bowlers and keep giving away so many chances, then I feel we deserved to lose. That’s the main point. It was a good pitch and a small ground, so sixes were always going to be hit. However, when opportunities arise and you don’t take even one, you drop chances, as we did today. On a wicket like this, if you don’t back your bowlers, it becomes difficult,” he said during the post-match presentation.
