IPL 2026 | 'Not their role': Batting coach Hayden defends Tewatia, Shahrukh failure after top order collapse costs GT vs MI
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "IPL 2026 | 'Not their role': Batting coach Hayden defends Tewatia, Shahrukh failure after top order collapse costs GT vs MI")
Hayden defends middle order after top 3 failure costs GT vs MI Photograph: (BCCI)
For GT, Washington Sundar (26), Glenn Phillips (6), Tewatia (8), and Shahrukh (17) scored 57 runs between them as the team became 79/6 from 54/3 in space of 3.4 overs in the chase of 200 which ended at 100 all out.
Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden has come to the defence of middle order batters after 99 runs loss vs Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2026 on Monday (Apr 20) at Ahmedabad. Hayden thinks players like Rahul Tewatia and Shahrukh Khan should not be facing many balls as they train for impact. Chasing 200, Gujarat were bowled out for 100 runs - one less than MI batter Tilak Varma's 101 not out - as they lost third out six matches in the season. For GT, Washington Sundar (26), Glenn Phillips (6), Tewatia (8), and Shahrukh (17) scored 57 runs between them as the team became 79/6 from 54/3 in space of 3.4 overs. Hayden alluded that the top order not firing was the reason behind their loss vs MI.
Why GT batting coach Hayden doesn't Tewatia and Shahrukh to face lot of balls?
Speaking at the press conference after the match, Hayden said: "We shouldn't be allowing, you know, Tiwu [Tewatia] or Shahrukh Khan or these guys lots of balls. That's not their role. That's not what they train for. You know, we are a very good thinking batting unit. We're not a conservative batting unit. You don't go out and get 200s as often as we do being conservative. But they're a thinking batting unit and they're an adaptive batting unit. And what that means is that they've got their roles and they play them and today they simply didn't."
GT batting falters in powerplay
Chasing a modest 200, GT top order failed to make an impact as they were reduced to 45/3 after the first six overs of the powerplay. Opener Sai Sudharsan was the first to go - dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah on the first ball of chase for a golden duck. Jos Buttler followed suit in the next over, scoring 5 off 6 balls before being sent back by MI skipper Hardik Pandya. GT captain Shubman Gill departed in the penultimate over of the powerplay on 14. He was dismissed by Ashwani Kumar who won Player of the Match (POTM) for his 4/24 four overs. Apart from Gill, Ashwani also dismissed Tewatia, Shahrukh, and Rashid Khan as well.
