Kagiso Rabada Cleared to Play After Completing ‘Substance Abuse Treatment Program’

Kagiso Rabada has made his return to the IPL after serving a provisional ban for testing positive for a recreational drug earlier this year. The South African fast bowler had been absent from Gujarat Titans’ campaign for several weeks, but it has now emerged that his time away was due to a doping offence that took place during the SA20 earlier in the year.

On Saturday, Rabada publicly acknowledged the failed test, which triggered an automatic provisional suspension. The drug test result came while Rabada was in India, representing Gujarat in the ongoing IPL season. He was officially notified of the offence on 1st April and immediately flew back home to South Africa to enter a treatment program. 

According to a statement, “Mr. Rabada tested positive for a Substance of Abuse and was subsequently notified of the allegation of his doping offence on 1 April 2025. A provisional suspension was imposed and Mr. Rabada returned immediately to South Africa from India.” The statement did not mention the specific substance, but under Article 4.2.3 of the SAIDS Code, commonly listed recreational drugs include cocaine, heroin, ecstasy (MDMA), and THC (the psychoactive compound in cannabis). 

Kagiso Rabada, to his credit, accepted responsibility for the violation and completed a short rehabilitation program. “The player accepted responsibility for the doping offence and honored his provisional suspension,” the statement added. He completed two treatment sessions, which were part of the requirement, after which the suspension was lifted. In total, he served around a month of ineligibility, making him eligible to resume playing. Now back in India, Kagiso Rabada is expected to be available for Gujarat Titans’ crucial clash against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on 6th May.  

While Kasigo Rabada’s matter appears to be resolved on paper, the way it was handled hasn’t gone down well with everyone. Former Australia captain Tim Paine didn’t mince his words while commenting on the issue. Speaking on his SEN Radio breakfast show, Paine slammed the lack of transparency from cricketing authorities. “It stinks,” Paine said bluntly. “I don’t like this use around personal issues, and it being used to hide stuff that isn’t a personal issue. If you have a professional sportsman who’s tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn’t fall under personal issues for me. That falls under you have broken your contract. That is not a personal issue, that is something that is happening in your personal life.” 

Paine’s comments highlight a growing frustration in the cricketing world about how such cases are often kept under wraps. While it’s understandable to give players privacy during sensitive moments, many believe that the public and the fans deserve a bit more honesty, especially when a player’s absence affects a team in a high-stakes tournament like the IPL. For now, Kasigo Rabada will be hoping to put the controversy behind him and get back to doing what he does best – leading GT’s pace attack. But the cloud of this incident, and the way it was handled, may linger for a while yet. 

Also Read: Most Runs Against a Single Opposition in IPL History