Jake Fraser-McGurk, the Australian opener, had a rough time during the IPL 2025 season, and it really showed when he stepped up to bat for Delhi Capitals in their chase against Mumbai Indians. With Delhi needing to score 206 runs and Faf du Plessis sitting out, a lot of pressure was on Fraser-McGurk to shake off his slump and make a real impact. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. He walked in, faced just one delivery, and then sent a catch right to Will Jacks at short cover off Deepak Chahar. It was a tough break, and it didn’t escape the notice of the commentators, who had some harsh words. Simon Doull, a former New Zealand player, really laid it out there, saying Fraser-McGurk’s dismissal was due to impatience and a clear lack of understanding of the moment. “He hit it straight to extra cover. It’s a great start for Mumbai, but they’ve been gifted that wicket,” he critiqued.
This marked another disappointing moment for Fraser-McGurk. To put things in perspective, he’s only managed to score 46 runs across five innings in this IPL season. Last year, he was batting at a strike rate of 234, but now he’s sitting at a meager one run per ball. With his early exit, Delhi Capitals seized the chance to bring in Karun Nair as an impact player, and boy, did he capitalize on the opportunity! He translated his impressive domestic performances to the IPL, taking down every Mumbai bowler, including the superstar Jasprit Bumrah.
Nair really took charge, especially in Bumrah’s second over, where he smashed an incredible 18 runs, including two massive sixes. He raced to his half-century in just 22 balls, helping Delhi reach 72 runs during the powerplay. Nair kept pounding the runs and was on fire throughout the innings, eventually falling just short of a hundred when Mitchell Santner bowled him out for 89 off just 40 balls. It was heartening to see him shine after struggling in the IPL for the last seven years, especially given how well he performed in the Vijay Hazare and Ranji Trophies before this season.
On the other side, Tilak Varma was also making waves for Mumbai, scoring a half-century as they posted a solid total of 205 runs. This marks back-to-back fifties for him in IPL 2025. Other players contributing to MI’s score included vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 40 off 28 balls, and wicket-keeper Ryan Rickelton, who added 41 off 25. Youngster Naman Dhir also chipped in with a quick 38 runs off just 17 balls.
For Delhi Capitals, it wasn’t all doom and gloom; their spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam, managed to take two wickets each. Regardless of Fraser-McGurk’s early departure, the game shaped up to be quite the spectacle, full of action and impressive performances.
