Madhav Tiwari just played three games towards the end of the 2026 IPL for Delhi Capitals, but he left a deep impression on those games.
The Madhya Pradesh allrounder, who made his IPL debut last season, was only brought into the DC Playing XI after the regulars disappointed. His first game of the 2026 season was against Punjab Kings at Dharamsala, and boy, did he shine big time there.
First, he took two wickets, those of the dangerous left-handers Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly. And then later with the bat, he made a crucial 18 not out off 8 balls at No.8 to help DC avenge their earlier defeat to PBKS.
He continued his rich vein of form in the next game. This time, he accounted for the cynosure of all eyes, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Shubham Dubey, and again DC won.
The 22-year-old is not stopping just at the IPL. He is eyeing more, a lot more, in fact. “I have a lot of dreams, my biggest dream is to play for India and represent the country for 15 years,” he told the TimesofIndia.com.
“This wasn’t the first time I found myself in such a situation. I actually enjoy these moments. I love playing under pressure, and thankfully, I have been able to perform well in these situations too. I can share one incident. There was an under-23 match for Madhya Pradesh, where we needed a win to qualify for the semifinals. The required run rate was very high, and we were under pressure. I went in and scored 86 runs off 32 balls. I really enjoyed that a lot. We won the match and qualified as well. Against Punjab Kings in the 2026 IPL, it was my 1st game, and the situation was quite similar. I stayed calm and backed myself and was happy that I could contribute to the team’s victory,” Tiwari discussed his batting approach at length against PBKS.
Tiwari has grown as a player under the supervision former India batsman Amay Khurasiya, and the young allrounder is indebted. “Amay sir has played a huge role in my career. He made me mentally strong from a very young age. He always told me, if you want to play for India, you need to excel in every department: batting, bowling, and fielding. He also placed great emphasis on fitness. He would always say that talent might help you play for India, but how long you stay there will depend on your fitness. That’s something you should never take lightly.
“My immediate goal is to establish myself in the Ranji Trophy and continue performing in domestic cricket for my state. I want to take one step at a time, but the dream of playing for India is always there. That’s the ultimate goal. I want to represent India and hopefully do it for a long time,” he said.
Tiwari speaks of fantastic experience at DC!
Talking about his DC experience in the season gone by, Tiwari said, “First of all, everyone made me feel very comfortable. It never felt like these were players I had only watched on TV and I was now sharing a dressing room with. The environment was extremely supportive. You could go up to anyone for advice, talk about the game, discuss your thoughts or ask questions whenever you want. The seniors made everything very easy for me. I learned a lot from all of them and built good relationships as well. To be honest, I bonded really well with Lungi [Ngidi]. I also share a very good rapport with Axar bhai [Axar Patel] and Kuldeep bhaiya [Kuldeep Yadav].
“The captain [Axar] gave us complete freedom to express ourselves and play our natural game. You could share your plans and ideas, and he would give his input whenever he felt it necessary. It never felt like he was forcing anything on you. He was always very supportive. I have always believed that if you back yourself and you’re mentally ready for any level, then it is only a matter of time before you get there.
“Whether it is club cricket or any other level, the principle remains the same. I never felt that a lack of exposure would hold me back. I had confidence that I could face international bowlers, play in the IPL and perform at that level. I bowled to Axar and KL Rahul and faced Mitchell Starc and David Miller in the nets. That was a huge learning experience for me. They taught me what pressure at the highest level really means. Miller, in particular, helped me understand the true meaning of being an all-rounder. It takes a lot to become a genuine all-rounder, and those interactions taught me a great deal.”
