South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada, who is part of the Gujarat Titans squad, recently returned home for personal reasons, and it was not clear when he would return to India for the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. The Proteas speedster finally disclosed the reason behind his absence from the tournament, saying he was serving “provisional suspension” after testing positive for a “recreational drug.”

Rabada released a statement on Friday evening, asking for forgiveness from fans whom he has let down. He also stated that he will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted.

As per ESPNCricinfo, Rabada is now back in India for the remainder of the IPL 2025 campaign. As per the report, the speedster took the drug during the SA20, in which he played for MI Cape Town. He was found guilty of using a recreational drug and not a performance-enhancing drug.

“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 an official 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,” he added.

‘Couldn’t have gone through this alone'

Rabada also thanked Cricket South Africa (CSA) and Gujarat Titans for their support, saying he “couldn't have gone through it alone.”

“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 SAGA 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,” said Rabada.

“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,” he added.

Rabada played two matches for Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans in IPL 2025, taking two wickets. Recently, Gill had said that the franchise is expecting to see the Proteas pacer return in 10-12 days to take part in the remainder of the T20 tournament.

Gujarat Titans had picked up Rabada for INR 10.75 in the mega auction held in Saudi Arabia in November 2024.

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