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.”

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.

Dahiya played 19 ODIs and two Tests for India from 2000 to 2001 before transitioning into coaching. At the domestic level, he has coached Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, guiding the former to the Ranji Trophy title in 2007-08. In the IPL, he has been an assistant coach for Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants.

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.

* GMT 1415, March 11, 2026 Updated after Dahiya’s appointment