On a pleasant Sunday evening at Dharamsala, Jos Buttler became the first Gujarat Titans player to step onto the field. He paused to take in the view of the Dhauladhar range behind the venue, then slowly pulled out his phone to capture the scenic backdrop.
Buttler wasn’t alone in enjoying the moment. The Titans’ Indian contingent, guided by Gurnoor Brar and Manav Suthar—recently handed their maiden Test call-ups—also took out their phones as they soaked up the Himalayan setting. Sai Sudharsan, currently leading the IPL 2026 Orange Cap race, even added a coffee break to the sightseeing, asking left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya to record him standing against the mountains.
Quick facts
- Jos Buttler was the first Gujarat Titans player to arrive on the field in Dharamsala.
- Gurnoor Brar and Manav Suthar were among the Indian players enjoying the scenery with phones out.
- Sai Sudharsan, the IPL 2026 Orange Cap leader, asked Kulwant Khejroliya to record a video of him against the Himalayan backdrop.
- Strength and conditioning coach Darren Veness was also visibly impressed, finishing the evening with a selfie alongside Buttler.
- At the nets, Buttler focused on range-hitting, facing only low full tosses for 35 minutes.
- Connor Esterhuizen, brought in as an injury replacement for Tom Banton, looked in prime form in training.
Darren Veness, the Titans’ strength and conditioning coach, looked the most awestruck. He moved around the ground with his phone in hand, clearly enjoying the rare atmosphere, before ending the day with a selfie with his fellow Englishman, Buttler.
It almost carried the feel of a routine—players walking out with mobile phones instead of their kits. For many in the Titans group, this was their first proper meeting with the mountains in full view, and it showed in the way they paused before training began.
Buttler’s nets: range-first work
Buttler was the first to put on his pads and head into the nets. The session, however, wasn’t built like a classic technical workshop; in IPL net culture, batters rarely spend long on method and more often chase quick, impact-focused execution, especially through the line and into the stands.
The 35-year-old appeared to be back in sync, coming into this work after back-to-back half-centuries in the previous couple of matches. During his 35 minutes, he had a specific plan for the side-arm throwers and the spinners, with the deliveries kept to low full tosses. He initially had trouble finding enough punch against the dipping balls, but as the session settled, he began to lift them with authority.
Across the nets, Titans head coach Ashish Nehra kept a close eye from behind the boundary rope and offered applause for every crisp strike, turning the whole stretch into a high-energy batting session.
Esterhuizen fires after Banton replacement
Connor Esterhuizen, who joined the Gujarat Titans as an injury replacement for Tom Banton, also looked sharp. The 24-year-old showed a clean, confident edge to his batting as he took on the bowling in the nets.
Sandeep Raju, the Titans’ performance analyst, brought pacers Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar, Arshad Khan and Kulwant Khejroliya into an extended spell against Esterhuizen. Prasidh and Brar, operating as right-arm seam options, tested him with short-pitched deliveries, while Arshad and Khejroliya, the left-arm quicks, aimed at the pads and the outside off stump.
There was little mercy for the bowlers. Esterhuizen picked apart the pace, pulling, hooking, and even going after ramp shots as the ball came onto him quickly. The shorter the length, the faster it seemed to fly—into the stands—leaving no doubt that he was timing the ball.
Even then, the threat level wasn’t limited to one type of delivery. Whenever Esterhuizen was batting, the atmosphere around the nets felt tense, with “watch out” getting louder as each ball arrived. Arshad and Khejroliya, in particular, had to endure his aggression as he pressed the advantage repeatedly.
While it’s unlikely Esterhuizen—who made his T20I debut earlier this year during South Africa’s tour of New Zealand—will break into the playing XI, his training display suggested he could become a serious option if needed. With four overseas slots appearing already set by Jos Buttler, Jason Holder, Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada, the Titans may have a tight squeeze in the final balance. Still, the Proteas batter’s form hints that he is carrying an exciting weapon for the squad.
