Gujarat Titans appoint Matthew Hayden as batting coach ahead of IPL 2026
2-time ODI World Cup winner joins GT set-up, bringing vast international experience and T20 expertise
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has been named as the batting coach of Gujarat Titans for the upcoming IPL season, the franchise announced on Tuesday.
A two-time ODI World Cup winner and one of the most dominant opening batters of his era, Hayden joins the Titans set-up with an illustrious international career and expertise in modern-day T20 batting dynamics.
Hayden represented Australia in 273 international matches across formats, scoring over 15,000 international runs and played a pivotal role in multiple ICC tournament victories.
Commenting on the appointment, GT Director of Cricket, Vikram Solanki said: “Matthew’s appointment comes at a pivotal phase in our journey. His experience at the highest level, coupled with his ability to mentor emerging talent, will be instrumental in shaping our batting identity for the seasons ahead.”
On his part, Hayden said: “Good batting applies pressure. Great batting owns the game. That’s the standard we want to set at Gujarat Titans.”
His aggressive yet technically robust approach to batting laid early foundations for the evolution of power-play dominance in white-ball cricket. He also featured in 32 IPL matches, showcasing a style of play ideally suited to the league’s high-intensity demands.
It has been learnt that Hayden comes in as a replacement of fellow Australian Matthew Wade, who was one of the assistant coaches during the 2025 edition.
