Rajasthan Royals have unearthed a new match-winner in Karun Nair as the 22-year-old opener struck an unbeaten 73 off 50 balls at the Ferozeshah Kotla to secure victory over Delhi Daredevils yesterday.

Playing only his third game, Nair anchored the chase superbly resulting in a seven-wicket win for Rajasthan in their sixth Indian Premier League game of the season. 

In pursuit of Delhi’s total of 152-5, Rajasthan overcame the early loss of Ajinkya Rahane (12) with Nair and Sanju Samson raising 51 runs in 7.1 overs.

Samson led the way cracking two fours and two sixes in his 28-ball 34 before he was stumped by Dinesh Karthik going for a big hit against spinner Shahbaz Nadeem.

Samson’s dismissal fired up Nair, who had until then scored 29 off 30 deliveries. The right-handed batsman smashed 44 off the next 20 including five fours and two sixes to power the team to victory.

Nair, who had scores of 8 and 1 in the previous two games, said: “In the UAE, I wasn’t giving myself enough time. There are quite big legends in the dressing room and I would like to thank Watto (Shane Watson) and the support staff for their confidence in me.”

Unlike Rajasthan, Delhi’s batting had been a three-part story, all quite different from each other, but adding up in the end to a fighting total. After being asked to bat, Quinton de Kock (42 off 33 balls) and Murali Vijay (13 off 11 balls) added a confident 33 runs for the first wicket before Vijay was caught at mid-off. 

The fall of wicket or the distractions involving the square-leg umpire, who let Kevin Pietersen off the hook by not reviewing a run-out call, didn’t affect de Kock’s approach as he went about picking his boundaries at a regular pace.

Daredevils were 68 for 1 when Pravin Tambe removed both de Kock and Pietersen in the same over. 

Only 32 runs came in the next six overs and it took an enterprising effort from JP Duminy (39 off 31 balls) and Kedar Jadhav (28 off 14 balls) to lift Delhi out from that hole.