Sports News | Matthew Hayden Praises Shubman Gill's Leadership Ahead of IPL Clash Against PBKS

New Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 30 (ANI): Gujarat Titans' (GT) batting coach Matthew Hayden hailed the team's captain, Shubman Gill, ahead of the side's first match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, against Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Tuesday.

Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings both will kick their IPL 2026 campaign off at Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.

Also Read | Mullanpur, Chandigarh Weather and Rain Forecast for Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans IPL 2026 Match.

While the Gujarat Titans' journey in last year's IPL ended in the Eliminator's clash, their performance throughout the season, especially with the bat, was outstanding. Captain Shubman Gill was one of the three key contributors with the bat for GT in IPL 2025, along with Sai Sudharsan and Jos Buttler. In 15 matches, Gill piled up 650 runs at an exceptional average of 50.00.

Ahead of the IPL 2026 season opener clash, Hayden praised Gill as a confident leader who reflects the strength of Indian cricket. He highlighted Gill's modern-day swagger and self-belief, while also emphasising his selfless, team-first mindset both on and off the field.

Also Read | PSL 2026: Naseem Shah Fined PKR 2 Crore After Controversial Tweet on Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz.

"Shubman is a very clear speaker of the game, and that says the Indian Cricket is in good stead, obviously at the highest level of cricket in Test cricket. He brings a lot of confidence. If you like, he brings a bit of swagger of the modern generation, which I really enjoy, that feeling that he's in control and he's shaping himself and his own destiny," Hayden said.

"But any side that he'll play with, he is very unselfish, and I've watched him across many different press conferences like this, that it's very team-oriented," the GT batting coach added.

Matthew Hayden said the Gujarat Titans enter the new season with a strong batting foundation built in IPL 2025.

"At the helm, he's looking forward to his batting unit performing as they did in the 2025 IPL series. The 18th edition of the IPL was a cracking series for all Gujarat Titans line-up," Hayden said.

He noted the team had no major weaknesses, with solid contributions from the top order, middle order, and finishers and believes they are well-prepared, while minor improvements can be made as the tournament progresses.

"There was no obvious weaknesses. There was only just a great foundation from the top three, built through some outstanding middle-order players and finished off as well with the finishes that they did have last year. So the metrics are really solid going into this season. The little areas of improvement will come as the tournament wears on," Hayden added. (ANI)

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