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Gujarat Titans Sign SA Star Esterhuizen as Banton's IPL 2026 Replacement

The Gujarat Titans have signed South African wicketkeeper-batter Connor Esterhuizen as a replacement for the injured England player Tom Banton for the ongoing IPL 2026 season. Esterhuizen, joining at his base price of 75 lakh INR, is coming off a stellar international debut series against New Zealand where he was named Player of the Series. His inclusion aims to strengthen the Titans' overseas batting and provide wicketkeeping backup. The Titans, led by Shubman Gill, will next face the Kolkata Knight Riders in Ahmedabad.

Key Points: Gujarat Titans Sign Connor Esterhuizen for IPL 2026

  • Replaces injured Tom Banton
  • Base price of INR 75 lakh
  • Impressive recent T20I debut
  • Bolsters GT's overseas & keeping options
  • GT faces KKR next
2 min read

IPL 2026: Gujarat Titans rope in SA keeper-batter Esterhuizen as Banton's replacement

Gujarat Titans sign South Africa's Connor Esterhuizen to replace injured Tom Banton for IPL 2026. Get details on the deal and player stats.

"Esterhuizen will join the squad at his base price of INR 75 lakh in what will also be his maiden stint - IPL Media Advisory"

New Delhi, April 17

Gujarat Titans have signed South Africa wicketkeeper-batter Connor Esterhuizen as a replacement for England batter Tom Banton, who has been ruled out of the ongoing 2026 Indian Premier League due to a finger injury.

In an IPL media advisory on Friday, the tournament said Esterhuizen will join the squad at his base price of INR 75 lakh in what will also be his maiden stint in the ten-team tournament. Esterhuizen recently made his international debut for South Africa against New Zealand in a five-match T20I series held last month.

He made an impressive start by winning two Player of the Match Awards and was also named Player of the Series, as South Africa clinched the series 3-2 after being 2-1 down. In all, Esterhuizen finished the series with 200 runs in five games at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 145.98.

Esterhuizen reached 39th in the Men's T20I rankings, the fourth-best by any South African after five matches. He also earned a nomination for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award alongside India duo of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson and ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah.

Esterhuizen's inclusion is expected to bolster GT's overseas batting options while also being a reliable wicketkeeping choice behind Jos Buttler. In this year's SA20, where Pretoria Capitals were the runners-up, Esterhuizen played all 12 games but could score only 166 runs at an average of 15.09 and a strike rate of 105.73.

But he gained huge experience by playing under the captaincy of Proteas left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj and head coach, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly, after being recruited as a rookie by MI Cape Town for the second season of the competition.

GT, the IPL 2022 champions led by India's Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, will take on three-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday evening.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting choice. His SA20 numbers were quite poor though... 166 runs in 12 games is a concern. Hope the experience under Dada (Ganguly) in SA20 has prepared him for the IPL pressure. Fingers crossed for Gill and the team!
R
Rohit P
As a GT fan, I'm a bit worried. We lost a proven T20 player in Banton and are replacing him with a complete rookie to the IPL. His international series was good, but IPL is a different beast altogether. Hope the scouts know something we don't.
S
Sarah B
His wicketkeeping skills will be crucial backup for Buttler. That's a smart move by the think tank. Also, playing under Ganguly's guidance is a huge plus. Excited to see what this young Protea can do in Ahmedabad!
V
Vikram M
Base price of 75 lakh seems like a bargain if he replicates his New Zealand series form. Getting a Player of the Series award winner at that price is a steal. Let's support the new player! 🤞
K
Karthik V
The article mentions he was nominated for ICC Player of the Month alongside Sanju Samson and Bumrah. That's elite company! Shows the talent is there. Hope Shubman Gill uses him wisely. Tough match against KKR coming up.

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