Hayden appointed as Gujarat Titans batting coach

This will be Hayden's first coaching stint in the IPL

Gujarat Titans have appointed Matthew Hayden, the former Australia opener, as their batting coach for IPL 2026.

Hayden, one of the most dominant opening batters of his era, will join a GT support staff that includes Ashish Nehra, Vikram Solanki and Parthiv Patel. He has previously been batting consultant with the Pakistan men's team.

"Good batting applies pressure. Great batting owns the game," Hayden said in a statement after his appointment. "That's the standard we want to set at Gujarat Titans."RelatedDhoni, Taylor, Hayden Mir among latest ICC Hall of Fame inductees

Solanki, the director of cricket, said the appointment would help GT shape their batting identity: "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."

Hayden, the two-time ODI World Cup winner and ICC hall-of-famer, has also played 32 matches for Chennai Super Kings, winning the title in 2010 and finishing as the tournament's highest run-scorer in 2009.

IPL 2026 will begin on March 28, although the schedule of matches is not yet out. GT are captained by Shubman Gill and finished third in 2025, bouncing back from their eighth-placed finished in 2024. They won their inaugural season in 2022 and finished runners-up in 2023.