Rabada Breaks Silence on IPL Absence, Set to Return After Recreational Drug Suspension

Kagiso Rabada has finally addressed the real reason behind his recent absence from the Indian Premier League. The South African speedster, who is part of the Gujarat Titans squad, had returned home a few weeks ago citing “personal reasons.” But now, he’s revealed the full story.

In an official statement, Rabada admitted he had tested positive for a recreational drug, which led to a “provisional suspension.” The incident dates back to the SA20 tournament, where he represented MI Cape Town. While it wasn’t a performance-enhancing substance, it still led to disciplinary action. 

“As has been reported, I recently returned to South Africa from participating in the IPL for personal reasons,” Rabada said. “This was due to my returning an adverse analytical finding for the use of a recreational drug. I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down. I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations. I am serving a provisional suspension and I am looking forward to returning to the game I love playing.” 

The franchise had originally released a vague statement, saying Rabada had gone home for an “important personal matter.” Now it’s clear what that matter was. 

According to a report from ESPNcricinfo, Rabada is already back in India and is expected to rejoin the Gujarat Titans soon, although the exact date of his return to playing is still uncertain. Neither the exact drug nor the length of the suspension has been made public, but comparisons are already being drawn. For instance, Doug Bracewell served a one-month ban last year for cocaine use, and South African powerlifter Matt Bekker got a similar suspension in 2021 after testing positive for THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. 

Despite Rabada’s limited involvement this season — just two matches and two wickets — Gujarat Titans haven’t felt his absence much. Under Shubman Gill’s leadership, they’ve won seven of their ten games and sit comfortably in second place on the points table. Two more wins from their last three games should be enough to seal a playoff berth. 

Gill had mentioned recently that the team expects Rabada to be back in “10 to 12 days,” which now seems accurate given his reported return to India. Gujarat had picked up Rabada for INR 10.75 crore during the mega auction held in Saudi Arabia in November 2024. While the situation has been far from ideal, fans of both Rabada and the Titans will be hoping this chapter is behind him — and that he can still make an impact in the business end of the tournament.