Gujarat Titans have moved quickly to replace the unlucky Tom Banton, signing South Africa’s Connor Esterhuizen for the rest of the IPL 2026 campaign.
Banton fractured a finger during practice last week and has been ruled out of the tournament without facing a ball. The English opener had been bought at his base price of INR 2 crore; Esterhuizen comes in on a INR 75-lakh deal.
“It’s heartbreaking, to be honest,” Banton said before flying home for surgery. “I felt in good touch and was desperate to get back into the IPL. These things happen, though, and I’ll be supporting the lads from the sofa.”
Esterhuizen, 23, arrives on the back of an eye-catching first T20I series in New Zealand, where he piled up 200 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate nudging 146. Two fifties, two player-of-the-match medals, and the overall Player of the Series award marked him out as one for the future.
Ashish Nehra, the Titans’ head coach, sounded cautiously upbeat. “Connor’s numbers jump off the page, but more important is the calm way he went about those innings. We’re not asking him to replace Banton’s style; we just need him to play his natural game.”
Esterhuizen, who keeps wicket and bats in the top order, has already sampled franchise cricket with Pretoria Capitals and MI Cape Town in the SA20, plus a short stint for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20. “The IPL is the stage everyone wants,” he admitted. “I’m under no illusions—this is a serious step up—but I’m ready to learn fast.”
After four matches GT sit sixth, part of a mid-table logjam on four points. With a long season still ahead, Nehra stressed the need for perspective. “Two wins from four isn’t disastrous. We’ve identified a few areas—death bowling, power-play runs—where small improvements can make a big difference.”
Banton hopes to be back in time for England’s home summer, while Esterhuizen is expected to link up with the Titans later this week and could be available for selection as early as Sunday.
