Ashwin rallies behind Nair after costly drops, says 'I’m not making excuses'

Punjab Kings pulled disconnected the highest palmy tally pursuit successful IPL history, hunting down 265 against Delhi Capitals successful Delhi. But for Karun Nair, it was a nighttime of missed opportunities and disposable heartbreak.

Nair endured a hard outing successful the field, dropping Shreyas Iyer doubly successful the abstraction of 4 balls, errors that proved decisive successful the discourse of the game. The archetypal accidental came connected the last shot of the 15th over, erstwhile Vipraj Nigam induced a mistimed lofted changeable from Iyer towards long-off. Nair settled nether it comfortably but spilled what looked similar a straightforward catch. The absorption said it all, Nigam dropped to the crushed successful disbelief, knowing a important accidental had gone begging.Just 4 balls later, Iyer got different lifeline. On the 2nd shot of the 16th over, Kuldeep Yadav deceived him with a wrong’un. The shot took the apical borderline and ballooned towards long-on, but Nair, erstwhile again positioned perfectly, failed to clasp on.After the 2nd drop, Nair appeared visibly shaken, astir connected the verge of tears, arsenic Delhi fto the crippled gaffe further away. Iyer made the astir of his reprieves, playing a match-winning sound of 71 disconnected 36 balls to usher Punjab Kings location with 7 balls to spare, sealing a historical chase.

Despite the costly errors, erstwhile India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin came retired successful beardown enactment of Nair, offering a measured position connected his struggles.Speaking connected his YouTube transmission Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin said:"Let maine archer you astir Karun Nair’s situation. When a subordinate knows they aren't successful the playing XI, they usually find retired astatine slightest a time successful advance. Players who are dropped oregon rested often deed the gym oregon bash other grooming connected lucifer days to enactment fit, knowing the adjacent time mightiness beryllium a question time with late-night flights and constricted signifier time.

So, possibly Karun Nair was mentally "switched off" though that’s astir apt the incorrect word, but helium mightiness person been fatigued from training.

I’m not making excuses, but for a substitute to abruptly measurement into the strength of the game, these things tin happen,'' Ashwin said.

''He dropped 1 catch, and his assurance conscionable plummeted aft that. Karun is really a fabulous fielder; I’ve seen him beryllium precise reliable successful first-class and red-ball cricket, particularly successful close-in positions. I’ve seldom seen him driblet catches similar that, but contiguous was conscionable 1 of those days," Ashwin added.