Gujarat Titans’ IPL 2026 campaign got off to a disappointing start as they lost their opening match against Punjab Kings by three wickets. Playing at Mullanpur, Shubman Gill and his side were restricted to 162/6 in 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Captain Gill top-scored for Gujarat with a knock of 39 runs. In reply, GT managed to put Punjab under pressure during the chase after Prasidh Krishna picked up three quick wickets. However, IPL debutant Cooper Connolly (72*), playing the role of a saviour, guided Punjab Kings to victory with five balls to spare.
Despite the defeat, Gujarat Titans batting coach Matthew Hayden won plenty of admiration for a heartwarming gesture towards the groundstaff.
In a video shared by GT on X (formerly Twitter), Hayden was seen picking up litter from the ground and assisting the groundstaff in keeping the area clean. The former Australian great also hugged one of the groundstaff members, acknowledging their efforts and hard work.
Speaking about his gesture, Hayden said, “I think these grounds are an amazing place to be, and I don’t know, it’s just a respect thing. It’s about respecting the little area and that’s what we do here at Gujarat Titans.”
That gesture won our hearts, Haydos!pic.twitter.com/XCRO3vL8q0
— Gujarat Titans (@gujarat_titans) April 1, 2026
As soon as the video went viral, many fans expressed their opinions. Some of them even criticised the players and the audience at the stadium for throwing litter in the ground.
It’s actually putting you and the rest of the players to shame.
— Aristocrat (@RealJoy_Singh) April 2, 2026
We should be asking why are players and officials littering there?
It shouldn’t take a Hayden to teach us basic decency.
— SA (@its_Smriti) April 1, 2026
Reflecting on the match, Gill’s side, despite boasting a formidable batting lineup featuring Jos Buttler, Sai Sudharsan, and Glenn Phillips, failed to make full use of a good batting surface, managing only 162 for 6. The skipper later admitted that a total in the range of 210-220 was achievable on that wicket.
“It looked like a 210-220 wicket. We thought 175 would be a good score, but we kept losing wickets and didn’t score much in the last five overs,” conceded Gill after the three-wicket loss.
“Once the ball got older, it was difficult to hit it down the ground,” he added.
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