Madhav Tiwari: From ‘I want to be a batsman’ to ‘100% bowler, 100% batsman’ for DC

Dharamshala: Madhav Tiwari still remembers how tiring bowling used to feel. As a 13-year-old in Indore, new to pick-up cricket after switching schools, batting was the only thing that really excited him. Bowling feels like labor by comparison. “I really enjoy batting. I want to be a batsman. Bowling is very tiring. You have to use your body a lot. I find batting easy. You can bat for as long as you want,” Tiwari told TOI after scripting Delhi Capitals’ three-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab in Dharamshala on Monday.

Yet it was his bowling – sharp, heavy, fearless – that first changed the game at the HPCA Stadium. Then came the finishing touches to the bat. in his second intense pulsed light After coming on the scene, the 22-year-old all-around player’s performance immediately impressed people. Who is this boy? where is he from? How did Delhi Capitals discover these exciting Indian talents? On a surface with ample seam movement, Tiwari bowled with the confidence of an experienced man. With speeds in the 137-140 km/h range, he attacks hard roads mercilessly and strikes out at crucial moments. His biggest breakthrough came when he took a wicket from the dangerous Priyansh Arya, who had threatened to bowl DC out. Tiwari later came back to dismiss Cooper Connolly with a cleverly disguised slower bouncer, finishing with figures of 2/40. “I think wickets help with hard length balls,” Tiwari said. “So I stick with that at the beginning and then when I come back try to mix it up with wide yorkers and short balls.” But the night was only half done. Amid the tense 211 incident, Delhi still needed to remain calm, and Tiwari did just that. When the game came to a head, he smashed an unbeaten 18 off just 8 deliveries, including 2 boundaries and 6 boundaries, to help Delhi complete their most successful T20 chase in Dharamshala. Playing alongside him will be Ashutosh Sharma, with whom Tiwari is already familiar with during the Madhya Pradesh tour. “We know exactly what is needed,” Tiwari said. “The way the game is going, we both need to bat. We are comfortable with that. We have played together and we know each other. We come from the same place. The atmosphere in the middle is very calm. We are also training together before the IPL.” The 22-year-old hails from Indore and his family roots can be traced back to Rewa. By Tiwari’s own admission, his father ran a transport company, ensuring that he never lacked support or facilities while growing up. However, it was the former Indian cricketer who made the biggest impact Amai Kulasya. While training at the Amai Kulasiya Cricket Academy, Tiwari was constantly pushed to become a true all-rounder even though he himself was very much inclined towards batting. “Amai sir made sure I understood both these things,” Tiwari said. “He has played a lot of cricket so he knows the benefits of being a true all-rounder – especially India’s pace bowling all-rounder. When I realized how important the combination of the two was, I started working equally hard on both. ” Years later, the youngster now proudly describes himself as “100 per cent bowler and 100 per cent batsman”. Interestingly, despite not having played senior domestic cricket for Madhya Pradesh so far, Tiwari has attracted attention in the IPL with his stellar performance against Bhopal Leopards in the Madhya Pradesh Premier League. Delhi Capitals spotted his raw ingredients – nimble pace, natural seam movement and clean batting ability – and signed him for Rs 40 lakh ahead of IPL-2025. The game against Kings XI Punjab was a validation in many ways. “This is my second year in the IPL. I feel I have gotten used to the environment,” Tiwari said. “The management and all the seniors are very supportive. You can always ask them any questions. Now that I’m used to it, I just have to control my nerves. It’s a bat and ball game and I just focus on my fundamentals. ” Like every young Indian cricketer who is just starting to find his feet, their dream is to play for the country one day. “That’s the ambition,” Tiwari said of playing for India. “My goal is to be the best. I still have a lot of work to do. I have to become sharper in my game. I hope to learn more from here and achieve good results in the future.”