Matthew Hayden (batting coach for the Gujarat Titans) drew attention when a video surfaced of him cleaning up litter ahead of the IPL 2026 match against the Punjab Kings. While the Gujarat Titans praised his actions, the video ignited a debate among Indian cricket fans. Many expressed embarrassment over the need for such a gesture, criticizing the team's culture and questioning the civic sense in Indian stadiums compared to iconic venues like the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Some fans lamented that a foreign coach had to teach Indians about cleanliness, while others applauded Hayden's humility and suggested he should be a civic ambassador for India. The controversy coincided with the Gujarat Titans' IPL opener, where they lost to the Punjab Kings by three wickets, with Cooper Connolly scoring an unbeaten fifty. The Titans managed to post 162 runs, but the Punjab bowlers effectively restricted their scoring.