Gujarat Titans Pacer, Kagiso Rabada, Discloses Using Recreational Drug After IPL Return to South Africa
Rewritten Article:
Kagiso Rabada, the lickety-split South African fast bowler, currently on Gujarat Titans' roster for IPL 2025, has dropped a bombshell, admitting he's been slapped with a provisional suspension due to a positive drug test.
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Leaving IPL 2025 behind a month ago, after playing two games for Gujarat Titans, Rabada gave the impression that he had flown back to South Africa to sort out a heavy personal matter. However, the cat is now out of the bag, and it's a far more significant issue than initially thought.
Sources close to ESPNcricinfo report that Rabada's brush with the law occurred during the SA20, held in January-February this year, where he played for MI Cape Town. uncertainty surrounds the duration of the sanction he'll face. Rabada touched down in India again and is poised to return to the pitch soon.
In a statement issued via South African Cricketers' Association (SACA), Rabada expressed his remorse for his actions:
"It's been announced that I skipped IPL 2025 for personal reasons, as I hopped a flight back to South Africa due to an adverse analytical finding for the use of a recreational drug," Rabada confessed.
"I apologize heartily to those I've let down. I fully understand that I've squandered a remarkable privilege. This privilege goes beyond my personal ambitions.
As I serve this suspension, I can't wait to get back to the sport I adore. I couldn't have navigated this voyage without the backing of my agent, Cricket South Africa (CSA), Gujarat Titans, and SACA. I'm immensely grateful for their support. I'd also like to extend my gratitude to my legal team for their counsel," he added.
Intriguingly, the statement does not disclose the specific recreational substance that triggered the positive drug test.
Having played 70 Tests, 106 One-day Internationals, and 65 T20Is for South Africa, Rabada returned earlier this year from an injury.
- Kagiso Rabada, the South African pacer, confirmed that he will miss the IPL 2025 due to a provisional suspension resulting from a positive drug test during the SA20 in January-February this year.
- Despite initially flying back to South Africa for personal reasons, Rabada's absence from IPL 2025 is due to a far more significant issue: a positive drug test in an international cricket tournament.
- The 2025 Internationals could see Kagiso Rabada's comeback after he serves his suspension for a recreational drug use, an incident that occurred during the SA20 earlier this year.
