Gujarat Titans have handed Matthew Hayden the batting-coach role for the 2026 IPL, his first proper coaching crack in the tournament. The former Australia opener – who bullied attacks through the 2000s – slots into a back-room group already featuring Ashish Nehra, director of cricket Vikram Solanki and Parthiv Patel.
“Good batting applies pressure. Great batting owns the game,” Hayden said on confirmation of the deal. “That’s the standard we want to set at Gujarat Titans.”
The Titans, champions in their debut 2022 season and still captained by Shubman Gill, finished third last year after a bumpy 2024. Solanki is banking on Hayden’s know-how to tighten the top order. “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,” the director noted.
Hayden has dabbled with coaching before – most recently as Pakistan’s batting consultant – but this is a longer-term arrangement. The 52-year-old, a two-time ODI World Cup winner and ICC Hall of Famer, also knows the IPL’s rhythms: 32 games for Chennai Super Kings, the Orange Cap in 2009 and a title in 2010 underline that.
The 2026 tournament is pencilled in for a 28 March start, fixtures still TBC. For now, Titans supporters will hope the new voice helps convert pressure into ownership, to borrow Hayden’s line.
