The Indian Premier League is just around the corner, and Gujarat Titans have made a big move to strengthen their coaching staff.
The franchise has appointed former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden as their new batting coach for the IPL 2026 season. The announcement was made on Tuesday by the team.
Matthew Hayden’s International Career and IPL Experience
Hayden is no stranger to the big stage. The left-handed opener represented Australia in 273 international matches across all three formats of the game, piling up over 15,000 runs during his career.
He was also part of two ODI World Cup-winning Australian squads, which speaks volumes about his experience in high-pressure tournament cricket.
| Format | Mat | NO | Runs | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s | 4s | 6s | Ct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 103 | 14 | 8625 | 380 | 50.73 | 60.10 | 30 | 29 | 1049 | 82 | 128 |
| ODIs | 161 | 15 | 6133 | 181* | 43.80 | 78.96 | 10 | 36 | 636 | 87 | 68 |
| T20Is | 9 | 3 | 308 | 73* | 51.33 | 143.92 | 0 | 4 | 37 | 13 | 1 |
| IPL | 32 | 2 | 1107 | 93 | 36.90 | 137.51 | 0 | 8 | 121 | 44 | 11 |
His connection with the IPL goes back to the early days of the league. Hayden played 32 matches for the Chennai Super Kings, where he made a serious impact. He won the Orange Cap the award given to the highest run-scorer of the season back in 2009.
The following year, he helped CSK lift the IPL trophy in 2010. Across three IPL seasons, Hayden scored 1,107 runs at a strike rate of 138. Those numbers show he knew exactly how to bat in the fast-paced T20 format.
Gujarat Titans’ Plan with Matthew Hayden as Batting Coach
Gujarat Titans‘ Director of Cricket, Vikram Solanki, spoke about the appointment and called it an important step for the franchise. Solanki explained that the move comes at a key point in the team’s journey and that the franchise is focused on building a strong cricketing setup for the long term.
He highlighted Hayden’s ability to mentor young players and said the Australian’s experience at the top level would play a big role in shaping the team’s batting approach going forward.
Hayden himself shared his thoughts in a statement released by the franchise. He made it clear that he wants to set a high standard with the Gujarat Titans batting group, emphasising that great batting is about taking control of the game.
With Shubman Gill leading the side, Hayden’s job will be to work closely with the captain and the rest of the batting lineup to get them ready for what promises to be another competitive IPL season.
His appointment also adds to the growing list of Australian coaches who have taken up roles in the IPL over the years, a trend that continues to strengthen the coaching talent pool in the league.
For Gujarat Titans, this is clearly a move aimed at getting the best out of their batters and building a strong identity heading into IPL 2026.
