Gujarat Titans rope in South African sensation as Tom Banton replacement

Gujarat Titans person brought successful promising South African wicketkeeper-batter Connor Esterhuizen arsenic a replacement for England’s Tom Banton, who has been ruled retired of the remainder of the Indian Premier League 2026 play owed to a digit injury.The 24-year-old Esterhuizen arrives with a rising estimation aft a breakthrough planetary outing against New Zealand past month. In what was his maiden T20I series, the young batter lit up the five-match contest, scoring 200 runs astatine an awesome onslaught complaint of 145.98. His consistency and power-hitting — including 13 sixes — earned him the Player of the Series grant arsenic South Africa clinched a 3-2 triumph aft trailing earlier successful the series.IPL 2026: GT vs KKR Live Score A rising prima earns IPL opportunityEsterhuizen’s signing marks his archetypal stint successful the IPL, a important measurement successful his vocation aft steadily climbing the ranks successful home and franchise cricket. He has antecedently featured successful South Africa’s SA20 league, representing sides similar MI Cape Town and Pretoria Capitals, wherever his assertive batting and wicketkeeping skills caught attention.GT person secured him astatine his basal terms of Rs 75 lakh, bringing him successful chiefly arsenic a backup wicketkeeping enactment for England white-ball skipper Jos Buttler. However, fixed his caller form, Esterhuizen could good propulsion for a relation successful the playing XI if opportunities originate during the tournament.

Titans look to regroupLed by Shubman Gill, Gujarat Titans person had a mixed commencement to their IPL 2026 campaign, with 2 wins and 2 losses placing them successful the mediate of the table. The squad volition beryllium keen to physique momentum arsenic the tourney progresses, particularly with squad adjustments becoming important successful a agelong season.Their adjacent duty comes against struggling Kolkata Knight Riders successful Ahmedabad connected Friday. KKR are presently rooted to the bottommost of the standings, inactive searching for their archetypal triumph aft 5 matches.While Esterhuizen whitethorn not locomotion consecutive into the XI, his accomplishment adds extent and caller vigor to the Titans’ setup. For a broadside aiming to regain consistency, the South African youngster could beryllium to beryllium an intriguing enactment arsenic the play unfolds.