Gujarat Titans Rabada Suspended for Banned Drug Use, Likely to Miss Remainder of IPL 2025 Season

Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada, who left the IPL 2025 a month ago citing “personal reasons,” has now revealed the real reason behind his exit. In a personal statement, Rabada shared that he was handed a provisional suspension for using recreational drugs, which required him to return home. The South African star said he is using this time to reflect and hasn’t confirmed whether he’ll return to the tournament this season.

Kagiso Rabada has opened up about why he left IPL 2025 midway. He shared that he tested positive for a banned recreational drug and was given a provisional suspension. Earlier, it was said he left due to personal reasons. Rabada has said he’s using this time to reflect and work on himself. It’s still not clear if he’ll return to play this season.

“As has been reported, I recently returned to South Africa from participating in the IPL for personal reasons. This was due to my returning an adverse analytical finding for the use of a recreational drug,” Rabada said in a statement.

“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.” Rabada added.

“I couldn’t have gone through this alone. I’d like to thank my agent, CSA, and Gujarat Titans for their support. I’d also like to thank SACA and my legal team for their guidance and counsel. Most importantly, I’d like to thank my friends and family for their understanding and love. Moving forward, this moment will not define me, I will keep doing what I have always done, continuously working hard and playing with passion and devotion to my craft.” Rabada concluded.

Siraj, Krishna, Sharma & Coetzee Lead Gujarat Titans Attack

Gujarat Titans had earlier shared that Kagiso Rabada returned home last month for “personal reasons.” Now, it’s clear that his absence was due to a provisional suspension after testing positive for a banned recreational drug. Rabada had played just two matches this season one each against Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians and picked up a wicket in both. Since then, he hasn’t been part of the playing XI.

Since Kagiso Rabada left the squad, Gujarat Titans have had to rely on others to step up in the bowling department. Bowlers like Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, and Gerald Coetzee have taken on bigger roles to keep the team’s momentum going. They've shared the responsibility well, making sure Rabada’s absence hasn’t heavily impacted the team's performance.