Saurabh with winning Telcon Jamshedpur team. Telegraph picture

Ranchi, April 10: The easiest way to a man’s heart is through the stomach and cricketer Saurabh Tiwary is no exception.

If Mahendra Singh Dhoni loves high-powered motorbikes, his junior loves food.

“My hobby, apart from cricket, is eating. I love chicken dishes,” says Saurabh Tiwary, a key member of India’s Under-19 World Cup winning team.

He admits to being homesick, especially when he is required to stay away for months, as he loves home-cooked food.

So, he dashed off to his home in Jamshedpur after the Twenty20 Elite Celebration Cup semi-final in Ranchi on Wednesday and came back for the final today to lead his team to victory.

“I have to stop getting homesick… must adjust,” said the 17-year-old, who wishes to go on a world tour because he loves travelling and visiting new countries.

In financial terms, he has already bagged the Reebok contract and has been made the youth brand ambassador of Career Launcher.

With almost eight months to go before he is out of his teens, Saurabh displays a mature head — and a long mane.

“These days I am feeling very confident,” said the 6’3” southpaw, whose ambition is “to win matches for India”.

With a patient knock (29) in the semi-final of the Under-19 World Cup at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and after becoming the highest-run scorer in the just-concluded Deodhar trophy, Saurabh has made his presence felt.

The confidence was apparent when he played the three innings in the first Twenty20 tourney that concluded today.

He scored 127 runs in three matches (62, 23 and 41), and was not out twice.

“I want to convert the 50s that I am scoring into 100s,” Saurabh said, realising the need for big scores to guarantee himself a berth in the senior league.

Though his favourite strokes are straight and cover drives — “when I play them well I know I am in fine form” — his strength lies in judging quick singles as evident in his Under-19 World Cup semi-final innings.

“Main singles bahut achcha leta hoon, (I take singles very well),” the batsman said.

Talking about Dhoni, Saurabh admitted that he admired his senior’s “body language” and confidence. “Dhoni remains cool whatever be the situation on the ground.

When playing with him, one gains confidence.”