Madhav Tiwari's stellar show keeps Delhi Capitals' playoff hopes alive

Madhav Tiwari delivered a match-winning all-round performance, taking two wickets and hitting an unbeaten 18, to guide Delhi Capitals to a three-wicket win over Punjab Kings, keeping their IPL 2026 playoff hopes alive in Dharamsala.

Madhav Tiwari earned the 'Player of the Match' award after taking Delhi Capitals to a three-wicket win against Punjab Kings in the IPL 2026 match at the HPCA Stadium here on Monday. The 22-year-old all-rounder first took two wickets, then played an unbeaten knock of 18 runs off just eight balls to take his side past the winning line and keep DC's playoff hopes alive.

'I just have to control my nerves': Tiwari

After pulling off a match-winning performance in his second IPL match, Tiwari said during the press conference, "This is my second year in the IPL. I feel I have gotten used to the environment. Management and all the seniors are super supportive. You can go to them anytime to ask anything. Now that I am used to it, I just have to control my nerves. It's a game of bat and ball, and I was just focusing on my basics. I am fortunate that things turned out the way they did."

How the match unfolded

Chasing 211, DC recovered from 74/4 thanks to captain Axar Patel's 56 off 33 balls and David Miller's explosive 51 off 28, with the duo adding 64 runs in quick time. Despite late wickets, DC's lower order stayed calm. Ashutosh Sharma smashed a crucial 24 off 10 balls, while Madhav Tiwari remained unbeaten on 18 off 8, and Auqib Nabi struck 10* off just 2 balls to seal the chase as DC made 216/7 in 19 overs, keeping DC's playoff hopes alive.

Earlier, PBKS posted 210/5 after a blazing start from Priyansh Arya (56 off 33) and Prabhsimran Singh. Captain Shreyas Iyer anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59 off 36, while Suryansh Shedge added a quickfire 21*. In the bowling department, Mukesh Kumar (1/31 in 4 overs) and Madhav (2/40 in 4 overs) shone for DC.

Tiwari on his journey and ambitions

Speaking to the media about his batting with Ashutosh Sharma, Tiwari said, "It was clear to us what was required. The way the game was going, the ball was hitting both bats. We were comfortable. We have played together. We know each other. We come from the same place. The atmosphere was very chill. We practised together before the IPL as well."

'Wanted to become a batsman'

Talking about his cricketing journey, he said, "I started playing cricket when I was 13 years old. I changed schools and played for the first time with a leather ball. My head coach was Amay Khurasiya (former India cricketer). I really liked batting. I wanted to become a batsman. Bowling was very tiring. Your body gets used to it. I find it easy to bat. You can bat for as long as you want. But sir made sure that I picked up on both things. He played a lot of cricket, so he knew the benefits of it. When I understood how important the combination of both is, I started working equally hard on both."

Speaking about the pitch, Tiwari said, "It wasn't that easy. But if you hit a good length, it helps you. I focused on hitting good lengths. Luckily, the bowling was good, and I got two wickets."

Ambition to play for Team India

Like every young Indian cricketer, Tiwari also dreams of playing for Team India. Speaking about his ambition to wear the blue jersey, he said, "That's the ambition. My ambition is to become the best. I have a lot of work to do. I have to get more sharpness in the game. I hope to learn more from here and do well for the team."

Impact on points table

The win lifted Delhi Capitals to seventh place in the points table with five wins from 12 matches, while Punjab Kings suffered their fourth consecutive defeat but remained fourth in the standings. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)