Gujarat Titans keeper-batter Tom Banton has been ruled out of the IPL 2026. The England cricketer was signed for his base price of INR 2 crore and was expected to bring some relief to the already struggling middle order. However, he could never make the debut before being ruled out with a finger injury. The team management has already confirmed the development and announced Connor Esterhuizen as a replacement player.
โGujarat Titans sign Connor Esterhuizen as a replacement for Tom Bantonย Gujarat Titans (GT) have signed Connor Esterhuizen as a replacement for Tom Banton, who has been ruled out of the IPL 2026 owing to a finger injury. This will be the 24-year-oldโs first stint in the IPL. He will join GT at his base price of INR 75 Lakh,โ GT confirmed via a statement.
Who is Connor Esterhuizen?
Connor has played all three seasons of the SA20, but hasnโt quite lived up to the reputation. However, in the recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand, he wreaked havoc, scoring back-to-back half-centuries in the fourth and fifth games of the series. Gujarat highlighted his recent form in their statement, which led to his signing for the season.ย
โEsterhuizen, a wicketkeeper-batter, recently made his international debut for South Africa against New Zealand in a five-match T20I series last month. He made an impressive start, winning two Player of the Match awards and was also named Player of the Series, helping his team clinch the series 3-2 after being 2-1 down,โ Gujaratโs statement read.
Topsy-turvy start for GT
Gujarat have won and lost two each in their ongoing IPL 2026 campaign. Based on that, the 2022 champions are currently sixth on the points table. Next up, they will host Kolkata Knight Riders on April 17. Notably, the visitors are still winless in the competition and are expected to come hard at the hosts.
The Shubman Gill-led side, in the meantime, needs to focus heavily on their middle order batting arsenal, which has struggled big time this season.ย
Also Read: