‘India must play for 15 years’: Delhi Capitals’ ‘Stubborn Boy’ Madhav Tiwari is chasing India’s big dream. EXCLUSIVE

Madhav Tiwari of Delhi Capitals (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: 22-year-old Madhav Tiwari entered IPL 2026 with no previous experience at the senior level. He only appeared in four games during the season, but that brief stint was enough to garner attention and announce his arrival on the big stage.Hailing from Mauganj in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, Madhav is now looking to take the next step in his cricketing journey – first making it in domestic cricket for his state and then pursuing his ultimate dream of representing India.“Sapne bahot hain. India ke liye 15 saal khelna hai (I have a lot of dreams. My biggest dream is to play for India and represent the country for 15 years),” Madhav said. TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview. Madhav was part of the Delhi Capitals squad in IPL 2025 but could only play one game. He spent most of his time waiting in the trenches, carrying drinks and supporting the team from the sidelines. The breakthrough finally came in IPL 2026 when he earned a place in the playing eleven and appeared in three matches with four wickets. His scalps were big names – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shubham Dubey, Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly.What makes Madhav’s rise even more remarkable is that he was never originally groomed as a bowler. In fact, he was primarily a batsman before his bowling skills were identified and nurtured. Under the guidance of former Indian cricketer Amay Khurasiyi, Madhav worked intensively on both batting and bowling and gradually transformed into a true all-rounder.His all-round ability was on display after he dismissed Priyansh Arya and Cooper Connolly. With Delhi Capitals under pressure during the chase, Madhav produced valuable cameos to guide his side home.Facing the very first ball of his IPL career, he showed remarkable composure, swinging on the back foot and steering the delivery behind the edge. He launched a six in the next over and then followed it up with a four to help Delhi Capitals complete the chase in style. The youngster’s comment “I’m 100% batsman and 100% bowler” summed it all up after the match.

Madhav Tiwari of Delhi Capitals (AP Photo)

Madhav and love for ‘Khraab’ the situation matches Known in Madhya Pradesh cricket circles as the ‘Karab situation’ boy and a dogged competitor who thrives under pressure, Madhav once again found himself in the situation he loves best – and when it mattered, he delivered.“It was not the first time I was in such a situation. I actually enjoy these moments. I love playing under pressure and luckily I was able to perform well even in pressure situations,” he said.“I can share one incident. There was an under-23 match for Madhya Pradesh where we needed to win to qualify for the semi-finals. The run-rate required was very high and we were under pressure. I went in and scored 86 runs off 32 balls. I really enjoyed the knock. We won the match and qualified as well. Against Punjab Kings I was quite similar in the first game and I was calm, I stayed in the IPL. I’m glad I could contribute to the team’s victory,” said the 22-year-old.“Amay Sir played a huge role in my career. He made me mentally stronger from a very young age. He always told me, ‘If you want to play for India, you have to excel in every department – batting, bowling and fielding.’ He also placed great emphasis on fitness. He has always said that talent can help you play for India, but how long you stay there will depend on your fitness. This is something you should never take lightly,” he said.“My immediate goal is to make it in the Ranji Trophy and continue to perform in domestic cricket for my country. I want to take one step at a time. But the dream of playing for India is always there. That is the ultimate goal. I want to represent India and I hope to do it for a long time,” the youngster added. Full bag of learningMadhav, who was bought for Rs 40 lakh in the IPL 2025 auction, was retained by Delhi Capitals for the 2026 season.An aspiring all-rounder, he entered the tournament determined to make the most of the opportunity and soak up as much knowledge as possible from the Delhi Capitals’ star-studded dressing room that included the likes of Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Tristan Stubbs, Mitchell Starc, David Miller and several other international cricket greats.“First of all, everyone made me feel very comfortable. I never felt like these were players I only watched on TV and now I share a dressing room with them. The environment was extremely supportive. You could go to anyone for advice, talk about the game, discuss your thoughts or ask questions whenever you wanted. The seniors made everything very easy for me. I learned a lot from them and built really good relationships from them, I also shared a lot good relations. I also developed good relations with Axar bhai and Kuldeep bhaiya,” said Madhav.“The captain 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 was necessary. But it never felt like he was forcing anything on you. He was always very supportive. I always believed that if you are back and mentally prepared for any level, then it’s only a matter of time before you get there. Whether it’s no other principle of cricket at the same level or I lack exposure.” held me back, I believed I could face international bowlers, play the IPL and perform at that level,” he said.“I bowled with Axar and KL Rahul and faced Mitchell Starc and David Miller in the nets. It was a huge learning experience for me. Tlak kya hota, inn sabb ne mujhe sikhaya (They taught me what pressure really means at the highest level). Miller especially helped me understand the true meaning of being an all-rounder to become a true all-rounder.” Madhav checked out.