Gujarat Titans add former Australian player as batting coach ahead of IPL 2026

Australia's former cricketer Matthew Hayden has been appointed as the batting coach of Gujarat Titans ahead of the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. The franchise made a formal announcement regarding his appointment on March 10. Hayden was a part of the IPL when it was started and played for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

He was a fearless batter of his time, and GT will get to learn a lot from him. Hayden has played in 273 international matches across formats, scoring over 15,000 international runs. He came in as a replacement for Gary Kirsten, who joined Sri Lanka as their head coach. 

Vikram Solanki, Director of Cricket, Gujarat Titans, said, "Matthew's appointment comes at a pivotal phase in our journey. As a franchise committed to excellence and long-term success, we are constantly focused on strengthening our cricketing ecosystem. 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."

Later, Hayden said, "Good batting applies pressure. Great batting owns the game. That's the standard we want to set at Gujarat Titans."

When will IPL 2026 start?

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is all set to start from March 28 and will commence until May 31. The IPL committee has announced the dates, but the schedule is yet to be revealed. Since Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are yet to decide on their home ground, and with the upcoming elections taking place between IPL dates, the board is deciding on the schedule. 

Ahead of the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have started their training camps. As the T20 World Cup has ended, the players will join their respective teams. Sanju Samson and Shivam Dube will join CSK training camp.