Gujarat Titans currently do not have a head coach in place ahead of the IPL 2025. Gary Kirsten was previously associated with the franchise for two years (2022-2024) before he moved on to take over as Pakistan’s white-ball coach following IPL 2024. With the South African having resigned as Pakistan’s coach on Monday, the doors are open for GT to once again reunite with Kirsten.
Will Gary Kirsten rejoin Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025?
In 2022, Gary Kirsten was named the batting coach and mentor of Gujarat Titans. In his very first season for the franchise, the Hardik Pandya-led team went on to lift the IPL trophy. However, in IPL 2024, GT fared poorly with a 8th placed finish on the standings. Kirsten, who had then received an offer from Pakistan Cricket Board, decided to move back to international cricket circuit with his eyes on the T20 World Cup.
Ashish Nehra is currently the head coach of GT. Earlier, reports had claimed that Parthiv Patel was in contention to become the new batting coach. However, the franchise is yet to confirm its support staff for IPL 2025.
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Gary Kirsten’s short-lived stint as Pakistan coach
However, Gary Kirsten’s career as Pakistan coach started off on an awful note, with Babar Azam and co. suffering a group stage exit at T20 World Cup. Despite his efforts to improve the state of cricket in the country including submitting a detailed report on the team’s performance and issues, scouting for talent in domestic tournaments and preparing a strategy for Champions Trophy 2025, he was sidelined by the PCB. It eventually led to the South African resigning from his role as coach, parting ways with the team after just six months.
Kirsten history with India & IPL
Gary Kirsten’s credentials as a coach is quite commendable, with India having lifted the 2011 ODI World Cup with the South African at the helm. He coached the Men in Blue from 2008-2011 after which he joined South Africa as coach for a two-year period. In 2018, he was named RCB’s batting coach.
