Karun Nair's Buttery Fingers Help Shreyas Iyer Lead Punjab's Record 265-Run Chase
A substitute fielder's catastrophic double drop at the boundary handed Punjab Kings a historic victory over Delhi Capitals on Saturday in New Delhi, as Shreyas Iyer marshalled a chase that rewrote the record books of the Indian Premier League.
Delhi Capitals had given themselves every chance of victory, posting a staggering total of 264 runs for their opponents to chase.
That target, imposing by any measure, looked well within Punjab's reach, particularly after Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh's explosive powerplay partnership of 116 runs without losing any wickets.
Both openers lost their wickets in successive overs to Delhi's spinners, bringing Cooper Connolly and Shreyas Iyer together at the crease.
The asking rate remained demanding, but Iyer kept pace, and the game hung in the balance heading into the 15th over.
How Did Shreyas Iyer's Reprieve Help Punjab Kings Break Their Own Chase Record?
What happened next could have never been imagined by anyone in the Delhi Capitals dugout.
Bowling in the 15th over, Vipraj kept one just beyond Iyer's reach. Struggling to clear the field at long off, the Punjab captain did not hit it cleanly, and Karun Nair, running in from the boundary, dropped what appeared a simple chance as the ball bounced out of his hands.
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The reprieve was costly enough, but worse was to follow.
In the very next over, Shreyas went bang, hitting the first delivery out of the ground. Off the second ball from Kuldeep, he failed to get the elevation he desired and handed another seemingly straightforward chance to the man at long-on. Karun Nair dropped it for the second time.
Iyer, twice spared, took the game away from Delhi entirely. Punjab Kings sealed their sixth consecutive victory as Shreyas led from the front, propelling his side to a chase that broke their own record, having previously overhauled 263 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders.
On social media, fans were far less forgiving than the hands of Karun Nair had been. Users responded to Nair dropping sitters with a flood of memes, jokes and pointed criticism.