The Gujarat Titans have signed Connor Esterhuizen, a promising 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter from South Africa, as a replacement for England's Tom Banton, who is sidelined for the remainder of the IPL 2026 season due to a finger injury. Esterhuizen made a name for himself in a recent T20I series against New Zealand, scoring 200 runs at an impressive strike rate of 145.98 and hitting 13 sixes, which earned him the Player of the Series award. This marks Esterhuizen's debut in the IPL, and he joins the Titans at a base price of ₹75 lakh (approximately $90,000 USD). His signing is seen as a strategic move to bolster the team's depth, particularly as a backup for England's white-ball captain Jos Buttler. Currently, the Titans are in the middle of the IPL standings with two wins and two losses, and they are looking to regain momentum in their upcoming match against the struggling Kolkata Knight Riders in Ahmedabad.