Gujarat Titans have picked Connor Esterhuizen to replace Tom Banton, who is injured. Banton, an English wicketkeeper-batsman, did not play any matches this season because Glenn Phillips was chosen as the fourth overseas player.
Banton, who was coming off a good run in the T20 World Cup 2026, was definitely an option for GT, considering Phillips isn’t having a great run himself in IPL 2026. However, that won’t be happening now. Banton, who was bought for INR 2 crore, has sustained a finger injury, which one can presume happened during practice.
Gujarat Titans Sign Connor Esterhuizen as Replacement for Injured Tom Banton
He is the fourth English player to miss IPL 2026 due to injury. Players like Sam Curran (Rajasthan Royals), Brydon Carse and David Payne (both from Sunrisers Hyderabad) have also been ruled out with injuries.
GT had named South African batter Connor Esterhuizen as his replacement for INR 75 lakh for the remainder of the season. Esterhuizen is a 24-year-old batter from Johannesburg and plays for Lions in domestic cricket. He has a great first-class and List A record, but his numbers in T20 cricket don’t really pop out. However, he’s already played in the SA20 and ILT20. In March, he made his international debut against New Zealand.