Kolkata : IPL 2022 winner Gujarat Titans have appointed former Australian and World Cup winner Matthew Hayden as Head Coach for upcoming IPL 2026 season.
GT’s Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki said the appointment came at an important moment in the franchise’s journey. “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,” Solanki said.
Hayden, in his first remarks after the appointment, signalled the kind of approach he wants from the Titans’ batting group. “Good batting applies pressure. Great batting owns the game. That’s the standard we want to set at Gujarat Titans,” Hayden said.
Hayden’s playing career speaks for itself. Having represented the Australian national cricket team in 103 Tests, 161 ODIs and nine T20Is, he amassed 15,066 international runs across formats.
A two-time Cricket World Cup winner, he was the leading run-scorer in the 2007 edition with 659 runs, including three centuries and registered what was then the fastest century in ODI World Cup history off just 66 balls.
His remarkable consistency is highlighted by the fact that he remains the only player to have scored over 1,000 Test runs in five consecutive calendar years.
Fondly known as ‘Haydos’, he adds significant IPL pedigree to Gujarat’s setup. Across three seasons, the left-handed opener piled up 1,107 runs in 32 matches and lifted the IPL trophy in 2010 for Chennai Super Kings. That winning mentality is something Gujarat will deeply value as they continue to build a culture of excellence.
Under the leadership of Shubman Gill and Hayden guiding Gujarat’s batting unit, they would fully focus on chasing second IPL crown in 2026.
