Kagiso Rabada, a South African pacer, was banned for one month after acknowledging that he tested positive for recreational drug use. The right-arm bowler is scheduled to play for South Africa against Australia in the forthcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final. He just made a comeback to professional cricket.
Ahead of the pivotal match, Rabada spoke candidly about the circumstances, stating that he felt compelled to be upfront and honest with his teammates. Although he reiterated that he would handle the situation with maturity and responsibility, he conceded that it was far from ideal.
Since they are my teammates, I believe I owe it to them to discuss what transpired. We’ve come a long way, you know, and I owe it to my closest friends and family,” Rabada told the reporters, as reported by.
“Look, this isn’t the best scenario. Here, I don’t need a lot of pats on the back. I will be joining them once more. I’ve already had a conversation with them, and I suppose we can discuss it further when we meet for a longer period of time,” he continued.
I left the game for a while: Kagiso Rabada
During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, Rabada made his way back to South Africa, citing personal reasons as the official explanation. But according to the South African Institute of Drug-Free Sport’s code, it was later discovered that he had tested positive for a recreational substance that is prohibited. During the SA20 league in January, the positive test result was noted.
Kagiso Rabada served his punishment and then returned to play two more games for Gujarat Titans (GT) once it was over, despite first keeping the situation confidential. Because of his cooperation, he was given a light sentence after confessing to the crime.
“I took some time away from the game and did some self-reflection as a result. The most important lesson I think I learnt from it was to be thankful for the game we love. I’m just happy to be playing once more. Rabada remarked, “The process was handled really well.”
According to Kagiso Rabada, everybody will have their own opinions.
The 30-year-old gave an explanation for his early IPL return, stating that it was best for him. Rabada also stated that he is willing to accept the fact that everyone has the right to hold their own ideas. In addition, Rabada apologised in public and showed regret to his supporters and loved ones. He acknowledged that he will now firmly concentrate on playing for South Africa once more on the highest platform.
“It was a great idea to return early [from the IPL], and I made that choice myself. I could have attempted to argue with it and all that, but I was in good hands and coming home was the best course of action. The entire procedure went smoothly because of everyone that was involved. As a guy and a player, I believe that individuals will have differing views. That’s fine with me,” he added.
Some individuals would have been disappointed, as you can see from my statement. And I sincerely apologise to those individuals. I felt like I let the people closest to me down. However, life goes on. I will always be ‘Mr-I-Apologise’. However, I will never support that behaviour,” Rabada said in closing.
