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South African star replaces injured Banton in IPL
17 Apr
Summary
- Connor Esterhuizen joins Gujarat Titans as a replacement.
- Tom Banton ruled out of IPL 2026 due to finger injury.
- Esterhuizen recently debuted for South Africa, winning awards.
Gujarat Titans have secured the services of Connor Esterhuizen, a wicketkeeper-batter who recently made his international debut for South Africa. He joins the IPL 2026 season as a replacement player for Tom Banton.
Banton has been sidelined from the ongoing IPL 2026 due to a finger injury. Esterhuizen, 24, impressed in his recent T20I series debut against New Zealand, earning two Player of the Match awards and the Player of the Series title. He will join Gujarat Titans at his base price of Rs 75 Lakh for his maiden IPL appearance.
Tom Banton, 27, was acquired for Rs 2 crore during the auction but did not feature in any matches this IPL season. He previously played two IPL matches for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2020. Banton also played a key role in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 for England, scoring 155 runs, including a notable 63 not out against Scotland.
The Gujarat Titans, currently sixth in the points table, are preparing to face a winless Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday in Ahmedabad. The Shubman Gill-led team aims for their third win in five matches.
