How did Kagiso Rabada end up with a one-month ban?

The IPL 2025 is currently suspended for one week due to the war-like tensions between India and Pakistan. However, reports have also started to circulate that the tournament is most likely to resume on 16 May. 

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But, before the suspension of the tournament, Gujarat Titans (GT) faced a blow when their star South African pacer, Kagiso Rabada, faced a ban for recreational drug use. It was a major blow for the player, franchise, and South Africa. 

As per a report in the Rapport, Rabada provided a urine sample on 21 January after MI Cape Town’s SA20 clash against Durban Super Giants at Kingsmead. It showed traces of benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine. Hence, he was initially banned for that reason, but his legal team ensured that the pacer served the ban for just one week.

While talking to the Rapport, Khalid Galant, the CEO of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids), said: “He was smart to go down that route. If you know you did it, it saves you time and legal fees.”

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Kagiso Rabada was not a part of the playing XI vs MI

However, GT fans were left surprised when they found that Rabada left the IPL 2025 in early April, just after two matches, citing personal reasons. He was yet to admit to failing the drug test. But later, he joined the team before the tournament was suspended. 

He did not get a place in GT’s clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) as skipper Shubman Gill claimed that the pacer needed more time. In a statement, Rabada said: “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.”

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But, some questions are also raining now whether he will be available for the remainder of the IPL 2025 when it resumes. South Africa is scheduled to play against Australia in the World Test Championship 2025 (WTC 2025) final at Lord’s, England, from 11 to 15 June. 

Hence, considering the time required for him to get prepared for that final clash, it will be interesting to see whether he will be available or not. Currently, GT are the table toppers with 16 points in 11 games (eight wins and three losses), with a net run rate of +0.793.

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