Gujarat Titans have appointed former Australian opener Matthew Hayden as their batting coach ahead of IPL 2026. The franchise confirmed the move on Tuesday, adding another experienced voice to its coaching set-up as they prepare for the new campaign.
The Titans are looking to build on a solid IPL 2025 season in which they finished third in the points table but were knocked out by Mumbai Indians in the Eliminator. With captain Shubman Gill leading a talented batting unit, Hayden’s arrival could play a key role in sharpening the team’s batting approach for the upcoming season.
After the appointment, GT Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki said the franchise believes Hayden’s experience and mentorship will help shape the side’s batting philosophy going forward.
“Matthew’s appointment comes at a crucial stage in our journey. As a franchise committed to excellence and long-term success, we are constantly focused on strengthening our cricketing ecosystem. His experience at the highest level, along with his ability to mentor emerging talent, will help us shape our batting identity for the coming seasons.”
Meanwhile, Hayden said he is excited to join the Titans and help the team develop a fearless batting mindset.
“Good batting creates pressure. Great batting owns the game. That’s the standard we want to set at Gujarat Titans.”
During his international career, Hayden played 273 matches for Australia across formats and scored over 15,000 runs. One of the most dominant openers of his era, he was a key member of Australia’s successful teams during the 2000s and played a major role in several victories in ICC tournaments.
His aggressive yet technically strong style helped redefine the approach to the powerplay in white-ball cricket, something that continues to shape modern T20 batting.
WHO ARE PART OF THE GT COACHING STAFF?
Hayden will join head coach Ashish Nehru in the Gujarat Titans coaching group as the franchise looks to build a strong setup for IPL 2026. The former Australian opener will specifically work with the Titans’ batting line-up that includes the likes of Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler and Glenn Phillips.
The combination of Hayden’s attacking philosophy and Gill’s leadership will be one of the interesting aspects to watch this season as Gujarat look to push deeper into the tournament.
With some explosive hitters already on the team, the Titans will be hoping that Hayden’s leadership will help the team more consistently turn strong starts into overall wins in the upcoming campaign.
HOW WAS MATTHEW HAYDEN IN THE IPL?
Hayden also enjoyed a memorable stint in the IPL during his playing days with Chennai Super Kings between 2008 and 2010. He scored 1,107 runs in 32 league matches at an average of 36.90 and a strike rate of 137.52.
His best season came in 2009 when he won the Orange Cap after scoring 572 runs. Hayden’s fearless approach at the top of the order made him one of the most entertaining batsmen of the early years of the IPL.
He was also known for experimenting with the famous ‘Mongoose’ bat in the 2010 season and produced some explosive innings, including 93 off 43 balls against Delhi Daredevils.
Hayden eventually ended his IPL journey on a high by helping Chennai Super Kings lift their maiden title in 2010, cementing his place as one of the league’s most memorable early stars.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
March 10, 2026 12:16 PM IST
