Madhav Tiwari (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: A night that started with Punjab Kings threatening to blow Delhi Capitals out of the competition ended with a young all-rounder named Madhav Tiwari calmly finishing the chase under pressure and talking like someone who is already comfortable with the IPL spotlight.Fueled by half-centuries from skipper Axar Patel and David Miller, Delhi Capitals pulled off a thrilling three-wicket victory over Punjab Kings in a high-scoring IPL encounter on Monday, chasing down 211 in just 19 overs to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.
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Mahela Jayawardene reflects on MI’s disappointing IPL 2026 campaignPunjab Kings looked set for an even bigger total after Priyansh Arya blasted 56 off 33 balls to add 78 runs with Prabhsimran Singh in seven overs. With captain Shreyas Iyer anchoring the middle overs with an unbeaten 59 off 36 and Cooper Connolly adding 38, PBKS posted a daunting 210 for five.Delhi’s reply soon stumbled to 74 for four, but Axar and Miller rebuilt the innings with composure and power. Just when the equation threatened to tighten again, Ashutosh Sharma and young all-rounder Madhav Tiwari completed the chase with remarkable composure.It was one of those nights for Madhav when everything seemed to click – two wickets with the ball and a nervous cameo in a pressure chase.“This is my second year in the IPL. I feel I am quite used to the environment,” Madhav said after the match. “The management and all the seniors are super supportive. You can go to them anytime to ask or do anything. But now that I’m used to it, I had to control my nerves. It’s a bat and ball game. I just focused on my fundamentals. Things turned out well and that’s lucky.”The 22-year-old revealed that batting was always his first love growing up in Indore, even as his coaches pushed him to become a complete cricketer.“I liked batting very much. I wanted to become a batsman. Bowling was very tiring,” he said with a smile. “Your body is used a lot. I find it easy to bat. You can bat as long as you want.”Madhav credited former Indian cricketer and coach Amay Khurasiya for shaping his all-round game.“My head coach made sure I had both. He played a lot of cricket. He knew the benefits of it. When I understood the importance of a combination of both, I started working equally hard on both.”The composure he showed alongside Ashutosh Sharma during a tense finish reflected his maturity. The pair, who have known each other since before the IPL, never looked rushed, despite mounting pressure.“We had a clear idea of what was required,” Madhav said. “As the game went on, the ball was hitting the bat nicely. We were very comfortable. We played together and we know each other from the same place. The atmosphere was very cool.”Even the noise of a packed stadium barely registered.“When I was in the middle, I couldn’t hear the crowd. I was in the zone and I just wanted to win the game,” he said. “Ashu and I were talking and focusing on the match. I didn’t realize when the crowd was screaming.”Earlier in the evening, Madhav also impressed with the ball, picking up two wickets by sticking to simple plans on a surface that rewarded discipline.“It wasn’t that easy. When you hit a good length it helped you. I concentrated on hitting the right areas. Luckily I bowled well and got two wickets which was nice.”Despite the breakthrough performance, the youngster remains grounded in his ambitions.“Of course that is my ambition. I want to play for India and become the best,” he said. “I still have a lot of work to do. I need to improve and get more sharpness in my game.”Behind the calm demeanor is a strong support system. Madhav spoke warmly about his family and the sacrifices that allowed him to take cricket seriously.“My father is in the transport business. I have always received a lot of support from my family. I have never lacked a background,” he said. “My mother doesn’t know much about cricket but the support has always been there.For Delhi Capitals, the win keeps the playoff equation alive. Madhav Tiwari may well remember it as the night he truly arrived.
