New Delhi: Gujarat Titans announced appointment of former Australia great Matthew Hayden as coach for the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) on Tuesday.

The two-time ODI World Cup winner represented Australia in 273 international matches across formats, scoring over 15,000 international runs, and was a dominant opener of his era.

The lef thander earned a reputation for his explosive style of play and formed a formaidable opening pair with Justin Langer in Tests.

“Good batting applies pressure. Great batting owns the game. That’s the standard we want to set at Gujarat Titans,” Hayden said in a statement.

Powerhouse. Legend. Now our Batting Coach 💪

Saying ‘𝗛𝗮𝘆-𝗗𝗼𝘀t’ to @HaydosTweets 👋 pic.twitter.com/J3eE59AzM1

— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans)

Hayden featured in 32 matches in the IPL for Chennai Super Kings, helping them lift the title in 2010. In 2009, he was the Orange Cap holder for being the top scorer with 572 runs in 12 games.

“Matthew’s appointment comes at a pivotal phase in our journey. His (Matthew’s) 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,” Gujarat Titans Director of Cricket Vikram Solanki added.

Hayden will replace fellow Australian Matthew Wade, who was one of the assistant coaches in 2025 edition. This year’s IPL begins on March 28.