Capitals must play fearlessly to reclaim Top 4

TOP-order batter Karun Nair believes the Delhi Capitals (DC) need to play with greater freedom as they look to reignite their IPL campaign with a must-win encounter against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi Inter-national Stadium on Monday.

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DC head into the clash following back-to-back home defeats to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With a five-day break behind them and the race for play-off qualification intensifying, the Capitals are eager to return to winning ways and reclaim a top-four spot.

Led by Axar Patel, Delhi currently sit fifth on the points table with 12 points from 10 matches, having won six games so far this season.

"It's about winning key moments in the game. We've done that well in most matches, and we're in a decent position," Nair said, at the pre-match press conference on Sunday.

"That said, we need to go out there and play with a lot of freedom. The break has helped us reset, reflect, and return to doing the things we did well earlier in the season. It's now about peaking at the right time."

Nair emphasised that the team's focus remains on controlling the controllables as they push for a place in the playoffs.

"Every time we take the field, we aim to win. That's the objective - and to keep that momentum going throughout the rest of the tournament.