Gujarat Titans have signed South African youngster Connor Esterhuizen as a replacement for England wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton, who has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League 2026 season due to a finger injury.
The franchise confirmed that Esterhuizen will join the squad at his base price of ₹75 lakh, marking his first stint in the IPL.
Banton, who recently featured for England in the T20 World Cup 2026, scored 155 runs in eight matches but will now miss the remainder of the tournament owing to injury.
Esterhuizen, 24, has made an impressive start to his international career. He emerged as the leading run-scorer in a five-match T20I series in New Zealand last month, amassing 200 runs at a strike rate of 145.98 and earning the Player of the Series award as South Africa clinched the series 3-2.
The right-hander has also featured in South Africa’s domestic T20 circuit, representing MI Cape Town and being part of the Pretoria Capitals side that reached the SA20 final. However, he had a modest run in the tournament, scoring 166 runs in 12 matches.
At Gujarat Titans, Esterhuizen is expected to provide backup as a wicketkeeping option behind Jos Buttler.
After a slow start to their campaign, Gujarat Titans have regained momentum with consecutive wins over Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. They will look to continue their winning run when they face Kolkata Knight Riders at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday.
