Saurabh Tiwary is a left-hand batsman who began playing cricket at the age of 11. He represented his state Jharkhand at the Under-14 level before making his first-class debut in the 2006-07 Ranji Trophy. He scored two half-centuries in India's Under-19 tri-series victory against South Africa and Bangladesh in 2008 and was a member of the squad that won the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008. He performed consistently well in the Ranji Trophy before hitting a peak in the 2009-10 season for Jharkhand, scoring three centuries. The IPL in 2010 shot him into limelight, as he proved one of the finds for Mumbai Indians, striking three half-centuries and cementing his place in their middle order. He was later rewarded with an India call-up for the 2010 Asia Cup.