Midnight nets and endless overs: The cricket tragic that is Madhav Tiwari

If it wasn't for the IPL, Madhav Tiwari would owe his father an MBA degree. Because a few years ago, Tiwari made a promise. "He told me: 'Just give me one or two years. If I don't get into the Madhya Pradesh team, I'll enrol for an MBA degree in a good University. But I want to play so please give me a couple of years.' God gave me strength and I told him to pursue his dreams," his father Awadhesh tells Cricbuzz.

Now 22, Madhav is yet to turn out for Madhya Pradesh, and has no domestic record to speak of. But earlier this week he bagged the Player of the Match award in Delhi Capitals' three-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Dharamsala, and any thoughts his father still had of picking up some enrollment papers receded further into the distance.

Awadhesh relates that it was the enthusiasm of a 13-year old Madhav, wholly obsessed with the sport, that sowed the seeds of a professional cricketer. "He was 13 but he used to play with boys who were 20 or 25 years old and used to hit sixes off their bowling," he recalls.

Originally from Mauganj, a town in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district, Awadhesh and his two brothers moved to Indore where the Tiwaris have resided for 45 years as a joint family, running a transportation business. With five cousins as well as a sibling - a sister - Madhav grew up in a vibrant household.

For a boy who was academically sharp and scored in the 80-90 per cent range consistently, it was natural that Awadhesh was keen on Madhav focusing his attention on his academics. The intense competition in cricket raised his skepticism, but it was hard not to pay heed to the words of those in the neighbourhood who took note of Madhav's natural talent and love for the game.

Awadhesh duly enrolled his son at the Amay Khurasiya Cricket Academy, helmed by the former India international. The academy was a 20km journey from home, meaning the day would often start at 5am. The extra commitment was aided by the presence of a supportive family, who could pick up slack in the business or assist with lifting duties.

"It's all the blessings of my father (Madhav's grandfather)," Awadhesh says. "He used to take Madhav to the academy whenever he'd come to Indore from his village on his Royal Enfield Bullet bike. He had a dream to see Madhav become a renowned name in cricket and he would distribute sweets throughout his village. Unfortunately God didn't give him the chance to see this, but it's his blessings that have brought Madhav this far."

At the academy, Khurasiya remembers what stood out when he first met Madhav. "The timing," he tells Cricbuzz. "And the enthusiasm as a child. He has grown very tall now but he was just a very short boy. His ability and attitude in matches was very interesting as he was growing up."

A thumb rule that Khurasiya follows at his academy is for everyone to bat and bowl unless they are a wicketkeeper. "Bowling was forced upon him," Khurasiya grins, citing that Madhav only wanted to bat in his initial days at the academy.

Runs and wickets followed through the age-group levels. Madhav took steady steps and emerged as a natural with the ball - one who "loves playing red-ball cricket" as Khurasiya declares. The obsession grew to the point where Tiwari would start playing again once his peers left for home, even after a long toil at the academy. Or he would summon a friend out late into the night to hit the nets, with his father encouraging him and watching along.

"This boy had the character to play big games from a very young age," Khurasiya recalls. "He broke his thumb in an U12 game. It was the last over of the game and he broke it. The opposition needed about 6 or 7 runs to win. He snatched the ball from the captain and said, 'I want to bowl this over.' And he won the game for his team."

"He broke the walls of the house smashing cricket balls," Awadhesh recalls with a laugh. "Isko cricket ke alawa duniya mein kuch nahi hai (Outside of cricket, there's nothing else for him in this world). He has no other hobby. When he was young, we used to roam around the nearby forest. Now he doesn't even ask for that."

But that profile did not miss the eyes of scouts when Madhav made a decent impression for the Bhopal Leopards in the inaugural edition of the Madhya Pradesh T20 League in 2024. Among batters who faced at least 30 balls that season, Madhav's strike-rate of 205.71 was the second highest. That he batted in the middle-order was an added plus to go with his ability to bowl seam-up.

"We kept watching the auction but his name didn't come up," Awadhesh recalls. "Then I had to attend a wedding and I stepped away. But at the back of my mind, there was this feeling that it's not over yet and he would get picked up. Then my nephew came screaming, 'Papa, Madhav ka ho gaya (Madhav has been selected in the IPL).' All the guests at the wedding were offering congratulations for half an hour and celebrating. It's more than a filmy story."

A debut followed against Punjab Kings at Dharamsala in the 2025 season, only for escalating border tensions to abruptly halt the game and then force the tournament to be suspended. When it resumed, Madhav played one more game. Against Mumbai Indians, he didn't bowl, and with the bat, he was met with the cruel reality of a dipping slower yorker from Jasprit Bumrah disturbing his stumps, dismissing him for just three.

Another year went on and another decent MP T20 campaign followed, averaging 54 at a strike-rate of 180 even as batting opportunities were sparse. The senior Madhya Pradesh call-up didn't come his way. But Madhav's commitment didn't wane - so much so that he missed his sister's wedding to take part in a game in Ahmedabad.

"When I dropped him at the airport, I came home crying thinking he had one sister and he couldn't attend her wedding," Awadhesh laughs as he narrates the incident.

DC retained him for 2026, but the "100 per cent bowler, 100 per cent batsman" had to wait until the 12th match of a campaign that has blown more cold than hot. With little to salvage for the season, a ray of hope emerged in the form of Tiwari, who took 2 for 40 against Punjab - poetically, at the very venue where his IPL debut was cut short last year - and then struck 18 not out to see DC to victory in a tight match.

"I didn't expect him to be picked in the side," Awadhesh says about his son's heroics against PBKS. "When I saw his name in the XI, I got so many phone calls which went late into the night that I couldn't even watch the match properly. The calls continued until the morning. The TV was on but my eyes were there and my ears were on the phone (laughs). I just wasn't able to keep the phone away. It was unexpected happiness."

With the spotlight well and truly on him and attention growing, Khurasiya envisions a bright future for his pupil. "He's a very lethal bowler with the red ball," he says. "He is very intelligent and can control his swing at 137-138 kph. He swings it very well from back of the length. You make him bowl for a whole day, he likes to bowl. And when he wants to bat, he will bat for the whole day. That way he's a bull."

Awadhesh swells with gratitude for Khurasiya's watchful eye and reassurances that Madhav was on the right track. Just months prior to his signing at the IPL Auction, Khurasiya reached out to the family, asking them to focus only on Madhav's nutritional needs before adding: "Just leave the rest to me, nobody can stop him from playing for India." Words that left the Tiwaris emotional.

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