Kagiso Rabada suspended over ‘Recreational Drug Use’, withdraws from IPL and releases statement

Rabada suspended over drug use

Kagiso Rabada, the South African pacer representing Gujarat Titans, returned home from the IPL 2025 season about a month ago, initially with the franchise citing a ‘personal reason’ for his departure. However, Rabada has now disclosed that the real reason was a ‘provisional suspension’ related to the use of recreational drugs.

In a personal statement, he addressed the situation, expressing his intent to reflect and grow from the experience. The statement, however, did not specify which recreational substance led to the positive test, nor did it clarify whether the test occurred during competition or outside of it.

“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. 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.” statement from Kagiso Rabada

“I am serving a provisional suspension and I am looking forward to returning to the game I love. 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.” Rabada added

“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.” said Rabada

Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans are a few wins away from playoff qualification, currently sitting in second place on the IPL 2025 points table with 14 points, having won seven out of the 10 games they’ve played.