Cricket did give a chance to Karun Nair but not a win, as he stands with his defeated armor as the war’s Abhimanyu of the squad-defeated yet not defeated. The ending could have been different had Ashutosh Sharma not gone for the desperate double! There is no point in denying an obvious defeat, but the hat-trick of run-outs with Delhi Capitals getting bundled out could have been prevented. Mumbai Indians were no doubt hungry for those two points, as Delhi suffered a clueless 12-run defeat in their home ground! Yes, it’s Delhi’s first defeat in 2025. Delhi started the race nicely, if, of course, Fraser McGurk was kept out of the expectation list. That bloke got dismissed in the very first ball. The innings started with Abhishek Porel taking the strings in his hand. He smashed 33 runs; kudos to Naman Dhir’s athleticism that ended Porel’s innings. Things were still heavy on Delhi’s side when Karun was tall on the crease. He scored 89 runs, his half-century in IPL after 7 years. He smashed 12 boundaries and 5 over boundaries, managing a havoc strike rate of 222.50 on a dewy evening. There were still hopes when KL Rahul (17) was there-—the Kantara celebration is still clean in the minds. But alas! Ashutosh Sharma looked to have ignited the hopes. But the broad chest failed to glide into the crease before Ryan Rickelton broke the stumps! Dumb decision to take the double? Probably! MI bowlers were cunning. Taking the new balls and successfully executing the instructions coming from the dugout, they managed it all. Apart from some tension in Karun Nair’s period, they got their lost mojo after the hero left. Karn Sharma was the star, taking 3 wickets at an economy of 9. Mitchell Santer, who took Karun, bagged 2, while Deepak Chahar and Bumrah got one each. Read also: Karun Nair, Bumrah Clash in IPL; Rohit Sharma Reacts 206 high enough to reach for impulsive Delhi Mumbai Indians stormed into the capital like warriors on a mission, hammering 205/5 in their allotted 20 overs—a total not just built but carved with intent. It began with Rohit Sharma’s another frustrating 18 off 12, laying the first stone before he was trapped lbw by Vipraj Nigam. But then came the firestorm—Ryan Rickelton, dancing down the track like a man possessed, smashing 41 off 25, and Suryakumar Yadav, ever the artist, painting the Kotla evening with 40 off 28. The real carnage, however, unfolded when Tilak Varma took charge. The southpaw sliced through Delhi’s bowling like a hot knife through butter, racing to 59 off just 33 deliveries. And when chaos was needed in the death, it was Naman Dhir who brought it—an unbeaten 38 off 17 balls that made the scoreboard scream. Delhi tried to respond. Kuldeep Yadav spun magic, claiming Rickelton and Surya with figures of 2/23. Vipraj Nigam snatched two as well, but at the cost of 41 runs. Starc, Mukesh, and Mohit Sharma—giants of pace—were humbled, conceding boundaries like confetti in a wedding. Yet, even amidst the damage, Delhi managed to deny MI a finish beyond 210. But let’s not kid the brains—Mumbai's innings wasn’t a gentle climb. It was a siege but enough to humble Delhi's unbeaten streak.