Gujarat Titans have announced the appointment of former Australia wicketkeeper Matthew Wade as the team’s assistant coach for the upcoming 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). This strategic move, made public on March 9, 2025, sees Wade returning to the franchise after having played two seasons with the Titans.
Wade was part of the title-winning Ahmedabad franchise during its inaugural season under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya and was instrumental to the team's success as he contributed significantly on the field. He also played three matches for them during the previous season, though he faced challenges, like failing to lead the team to the playoffs as they ended the season finishing seventh.
“Champion. Fighter. Now our Assistant Coach! Welcome back to the GT Dugout, Matthew Wade!” the Titans expressed enthusiastically on their official social media channels when announcing Wade’s recruitment, underscoring his importance and experience within the team.
Following his retirement from international cricket last year, Wade had not entered the IPL mega auction, thereby making this appointment all the more notable. Across his career, he has appeared in 15 IPL matches, scoring 183 runs at an average of 13.07, alongside 64 dismissals as wicketkeeper from 92 T20 international matches where he amassed 1202 runs.
Wade will join head coach Ashish Nehra, batting coach Parthiv Patel, and other coaching staff members including Aashish Kapoor and Narender Negi. This restructuring aims to leverage both coaching expertise and Wade's international experience to improve upon last year’s performance. The Titans struggled during the previous IPL season, managing to secure just five wins out of 14 matches, which left them out of contention for the playoffs.
Looking forward to the upcoming season, the Titans have bolstered their lineup during the auction earlier this year, acquiring notable players like fast bowlers Mohammad Siraj for Rs 12.25 crore, Kagiso Rabada for Rs 10.75 crore, and Prasidh Krishna for Rs 9.50 crore. They have also strengthened their batting unit with the likes of Jos Buttler and Washington Sundar.
The 2025 IPL is set to commence on March 22, with the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, facing off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The Titans will kick-start their campaign on March 25 against Punjab Kings at their home ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
With the changes made both to the coaching staff and the team roster, the Gujarat Titans are aiming to reclaim their spot among the league's top contenders and make another title push.