Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden hailed skipper Shubman Gill’s growth as a batsman and leader, saying the Indian star’s clear thinking and modern confidence shaped his development at the highest level.
Ahead of Gujarat Titans’ opening match against Punjab Kings on Tuesday, Hayden explained how Gill’s understanding of the game and his ability to articulate it reflects a player who has matured at the highest level.
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“Yeah, you see, Shubman is a very articulate spokesman for the game, and that says he knew cricket in a good way, obviously at the highest level of cricket and Test cricket,” Hayden said.
The former Australian opener also pointed to Gill’s confidence and modern outlook, qualities he believes shape his leadership.
“He brings a lot of confidence. He brings a bit of modern-generation swagger, if you will, which I really enjoy, that sense of being in control and shaping himself and his destiny.”
“But with whatever side he’s going to play, he’s very unselfish in saying, and I’ve watched him in a lot of different press conferences like this, that it’s very team-oriented,” Hayden added.
Gill enters the new season at an interesting time in his T20 career. Despite being a mainstay in India’s longer formats, he slipped out of the national T20I set-up amid stiff competition from aggressive options like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. The right-hander featured in 15 T20Is after IPL 2025 but failed to register a half-century, raising questions about his place in the shortest format.
Gujarat Titans will now look to their skipper to rediscover rhythm and leadership from the front as they aim for a strong start to their campaign. However, Hayden expressed confidence in the overall strength of the batting unit and insisted there were no glaring concerns heading into the season.
“There were no glaring weaknesses last season. There was just a great foundation from the top three, built around some excellent middle order players and topped off with the ends they had last year as well.”
“So the metrics are really solid this season. Small areas of improvement will come as the tournament goes on,” he said.
With a core settled and a captain backed for both his clarity and character, Gujarat Titans will be hoping that Gill can translate promise into performance once the new IPL season begins.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
30 March 2026 21:58 IST
