Gujarat Titans Welcome Connor Esterhuizen as Replacement for Injured Tom Banton

The Gujarat Titans have signed Connor Esterhuizen as a replacement for the injured Tom Banton in IPL 2026. Esterhuizen recently debuted for South Africa, earning accolades in a T20I series against New Zealand. As the Titans prepare for their next match against KKR, they aim to improve their standings after a shaky start to the season. This article delves into Esterhuizen's performance, Banton's injury, and the current squad dynamics.

By Narendra Chaudhary Apr 17, 2026, 19:37 IST

Gujarat Titans Sign New Wicketkeeper-Batter

The Gujarat Titans (GT) have officially signed Connor Esterhuizen to fill the void left by Tom Banton, who is sidelined for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 due to a finger injury.

Esterhuizen's Impressive International Debut

Esterhuizen, a wicketkeeper-batter, recently made his international debut for South Africa against New Zealand during a five-match T20I series last month. He had a remarkable start, earning two Player of the Match awards and being named Player of the Series, which helped his team secure a 3-2 victory after trailing 2-1. This will mark the 24-year-old's inaugural appearance in the IPL, joining GT at a base price of ₹75 lakh.

Tom Banton's Injury Update

Tom Banton, aged 27, was acquired for ₹2 crore during the auction but has yet to participate in any matches this IPL season. Previously, he played two IPL matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2020 season, which took place in the UAE due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Banton was instrumental for England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, scoring 155 runs, including a pivotal unbeaten 63 off 41 balls against Scotland, which led to a five-wicket victory. His performance earned him the Player of the Match title.

GT Aims for Third Win Against KKR

The Gujarat Titans, having won two of their last matches after a rocky start, are looking to secure their third victory in five games against a winless KKR at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad this Friday. Currently, the Shubman Gill-led team is positioned sixth in the points table.

Current Gujarat Titans Squad

The squad includes: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (w), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Ashok Sharma, Prasidh Krishna, Shahrukh Khan, Manav Suthar, Jason Holder, Kulwant Khejroliya, Anuj Rawat, Nishant Sindhu, Gurnoor Brar, Arshad Khan, Kumar Kushagra, Connor Esterhuizen, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Luke Wood, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma.