New Delhi: Delhi Capitals’ IPL 2026 campaign was hanging by a thread when 22-year-old Madhav Tiwary was handed the first game of the season against Punjab Kings. DC needed 41 off 21 balls and David Miller had just departed. Facing the very first ball of his IPL career, Madhav remained calm, went on the back foot and drove it behind square for a boundary. In the next over, he hit a six followed by a four to help Delhi Capitals seal the deal in style.Before making that match-winning cameo, he had already claimed the valuable wickets of Priyansh Arya, and Cooper Connolly. Madhav was adjudged player of the match. In Delhi on Sunday, the youngster was once again given a chance in a do-or-die clash against Rajasthan Royals, and he delivered in style once again. He took the wicket of the dangerous Vibhu Suryavanshi and later removed him. Shubham Dubey Another important win for Delhi Capitals.Two matches into his IPL career, Madhav has already shown glimpses of why Delhi Capitals rate him so highly. But those who have watched him closely over the years are hardly surprised. Madhav has already made a name for himself in Madhya Pradesh. Cricket In circles as a stubborn young man who refused to back down from difficult situations.
The guy who just wanted to bat.
Growing up in Rewa in Madhya Pradesh and growing up in Indore, Madhav had only one dream – bat, bat, and only bat. Bowling was never part of Madhav’s cricket plan. His father, Odhish Tiwari, who runs a shop, was also convinced that his son wanted to be a batsman before introducing him to former India cricketer Umay Khurasia at his academy.When Khurasia asked Madhav to bowl, the young man looked completely disinterested. Khorasiya said simply, “Go bowling.” Madhav picked up the ball and bowled two balls. Khurasia immediately saw something in him.
Vibhu Suryavanshi of Rajasthan Royals walks back to the pavilion after losing his wicket to Madhav Tiwary of Delhi Capitals during the Indian Premier League 2026 match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. (ANI Photo/Jitendra Gupta)
Khurasia’s next words to Madhav were: “Jeda bowling, time miles for batting. This is the final.”The next few days saw Madhav do magic both in bowling and batting, but he soon understood what his coach wanted from him and followed the instructions accordingly. Khorasiya knew the potential of this young man.For Khurasia, Madhav is a ‘tough’ and ‘bad situation’ player: someone who thrives under pressure. Khurasia’s faith in Madhav is now paying dividends on the world’s biggest T20 stage.“Madhav standing at the age of 22 with such limited experience shows that he is made for something bigger. He is made for higher levels. He is not someone who settles to be just another player in the stream. He is destined for the ocean and to be a part of something much bigger,” Khurasia told TimesofIndia.com.“Madhav never liked bowling, but he was forced to bowl. From the age of 12 to 14, I made sure he bowled regularly. Many times, I even took away his bat because I saw something special in him as a bowler. Today, I am extremely happy. He also took wickets and scored runs. Batting was always his first love, but he also fell in love with bowling.“I’m sure he will be enjoying that feeling now. When he comes back to the dressing room and sees the wickets with his name on them, he will realize the importance. But let me tell you, he is a full-time bowler, not a part-timer. And he is a top-order batsman, not a lower-order batsman,” said Khurasia, who played 12 ODIs for India between 1999 and 2001.In fact, after bagging the Player of the Match award against PBKS, Madhav vindicated himself by saying, “I’m 100 per cent bowler, 100 per cent batsman.”Interestingly, despite impressing in age-group cricket for Madhya Pradesh, he had not played a single senior-level match before entering the IPL setup.Tiwary has been part of the Bhopal Leopards setup in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League for the past two seasons. He enjoyed a solid campaign in the 2024 edition of the Madhya Pradesh T20 League, batting at an impressive strike rate of 205.71. Young followed that up with another strong season in 2025, averaging 54 while maintaining a strikeout rate of 180.
Madhav Tiwary – A ‘bad situation’ player
Khurasia recalls an incident at a local tournament when Madhav, despite suffering from a broken thumb, convinced him to let him go in the middle and bowl.“I can’t forget that day. He was very young and we were playing an under-12 club tournament. Our team was on the back foot. This kid was sitting next to me with a broken thumb. It was bandaged and swollen. You can understand what happens to a kid in an under-12 match when the ball hits him.”
Delhi Capitals’ Madhav Tiwari celebrates (AP Photo/Manish Swarap)
“He kept asking me, ‘Sir, shall I go? I will live, promise.’ I told him to keep calm and watch the match. A few minutes later he asked me again. Zaid started to say. “Finally, I said, ‘Go,'” Kharsiya recalled.“Believe me, he took wickets with a broken thumb and helped the team win. He is a real ‘bad situation’ player. The match will be in tatters, it will say, ‘I will win,'” Khurasia said.
Missing sister’s wedding
Madhav’s commitment to cricket and his desire to perform has always been immense. In fact, such was his devotion to the game that he once missed out on one of the family’s biggest occasions – his sister’s wedding – due to his cricketing commitments.“We were really sad. Just three days before my sister’s wedding, he had to leave for a tournament in Mumbai where he had to stay for 9-10 days. He said it was important, and I respected his feelings. We dropped him off at the airport and we were all crying. But he came back with the winning trophy,” Awadhesh.com.com.
Delhi Capitals’ Madhav Tiwari tries to take a catch (AP Photo/Manish Swarap)
“And now, when I see him on TV playing matches and winning awards for Delhi Capitals, I feel so proud. People know me here now. They say, ‘Madhu’s papa is going,’ said a proud father.It’s still early days and there’s a long way to go, but in just two occasions, the youngster has already shown that he has match-winning skills with both bat and ball.For now, it’s just a small sample, but the glimpses have been exciting enough that Delhi Capitals could have a player for the future – someone who, if nurtured right, can aim for big things ahead.
