Delhi Capitals (DC) all-rounder Madhav Tiwari has praised skipper Axar Patel for his supportive nature and leadership, highlighting the captain's strong trust in players and their plans. Tiwari also noted that observing Patel gave him a deeper understanding of the demands of being an all-rounder, particularly the constant mental involvement required in both bowling and batting, unlike specialists who can switch off between roles.
Axar Patel's supportive captaincy
Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said, "I think as a human being, Axar bhaiya (Axar Patel) is very good. He is very supportive. As a captain, he also shows trust in your skill set or your Plan A. So being a player with them was never hard." Tiwari emphasized that Patel's involvement in the game never wanes because he has to bowl four overs, lead the team, and then return to the dressing room.
Learning from an all-rounder's perspective
Tiwari elaborated on the mental demands of an all-rounder, contrasting it with specialists. "Generally, the bowlers, their work is done, they have one department, bowling. When it's their turn to bat, they can rest a bit and be mentally relaxed. But as an all-rounder, you can't be relaxed. If your bowling is over, you have a 10-minute break, and then you have to be equally engaged in batting as well. So I just learned how much he is into the game and how much his mind stays in the game," he added.
Enriching dressing room experience
Tiwari described his experience in the Delhi Capitals dressing room as highly enriching, as he gets to interact with senior players he once only watched on television. "There are some very big players. Those whom I used to see on TV, I am meeting them physically. I can talk to them. And they are also so nice that they tell you everything. You can ask them any question. They explain everything very patiently. So it's all about what you can learn from each player and what good things you can take from them to improve your game," he said.
He added, "And I am fortunate enough that I was able to learn from them, share the dressing room with them. Their mindset, their game, their style of play, their technique, their skill, there are so many things. And coming here, I look forward to implementing those things and seeing how I can help my teammates."
Madhav Tiwari's IPL journey
A lower middle-order batter and medium-fast bowler, Madhav Tiwari is yet to make his senior domestic debut for Madhya Pradesh but has already broken into the Indian Premier League with Delhi Capitals. Picked up for Rs 40 lakh ahead of IPL 2025, he made his debut that season against the Mumbai Indians, scoring 3 runs and not being used with the ball. In IPL 2026, he featured in three matches and showed improvement, taking four wickets at an average of 21.75.
