Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 11 (ANI): Gujarat Titans announced the appointment of former India wicketkeeper-batter Vijay Dahiya as an Assistant Coach on Wednesday ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, further strengthening the franchise's coaching setup, according to a press release.

A respected figure in Indian cricket, Dahiya represented the country in 19 ODIs and two Tests and enjoyed a successful domestic career with Delhi before transitioning into coaching. He later guided Delhi to the Ranji Trophy title in the 2007-08 season and has since built a strong coaching portfolio across domestic and IPL teams.

His appointment follows the recent addition of former Australia batting legend Matthew Hayden as Batting Coach, further bolstering the Titans' coaching group ahead of the upcoming IPL season.

Since making their debut in 2022, the Gujarat Titans have emerged as one of the most consistent teams in the IPL, reaching the playoffs in three of their first four seasons and winning the title in their inaugural campaign. With a strengthened coaching structure in place, the former champions will look to build on their strong track record as preparations for the IPL 2026 gather momentum.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the schedule for the first phase of the IPL 2026, to be played from March 28 to April 12, 2026.

As three states are scheduled to undergo State Assembly elections during this period, the full schedule of the tournament will be announced once the poll dates are announced.

The 19th edition of the biggest T20 league on the globe will commence when defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) host Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. A total of 20 matches will be played across 10 venues: Bengaluru, Mumbai, Guwahati, New Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad.

During this period, the tournament will feature four double-headers, with the afternoon matches beginning at 03:30 PM IST and the evening matches commencing at 07:30 PM IST. Following the opening encounter on Saturday, the Mumbai Indians will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday. (ANI)