New Delhi, April 3 (IANS) Gujarat Titans fast-bowler Kagiso Rabada has gone back home to South Africa from the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to some personal reasons.
Rabada had played the first two matches of the franchise in IPL 2025, where he returned with expensive figures of 1-41 and 1-42 in the side’s matches against Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Rabada had missed GT’s eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru due to personal reasons. “Kagiso Rabada has returned to South Africa to deal with an important personal matter,” said a statement by Gujarat Titans on Thursday.
The franchise didn’t give a definitive timeline on when Rabada would be back from South Africa and link up with the franchise in IPL 2025. GT, the 2022 championship winners, had secured Rabada’s services for Rs 10.75 crore in last year’s mega auction ahead of the ongoing IPL season.
In 82 IPL matches, Rabada has picked 119 wickets at an average of 22.29 and an economy rate of 8.53. Rabada had previous IPL stints with Delhi Capitals (2017-2021) and Punjab Kings (2022-2024). The lethal pacer’s best-ever IPL season came in 2020 when he picked 30 wickets in 17 matches to win the Purple Cap and helped DC reach their first-ever IPL final, before finishing as runners-up.
GT’s other fast bowling options include Mohammed Siraj, who picked 3-19 in Wednesday’s win over RCB, as well as Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, and Kulwant Khejroliya, as well as all-rounder Arshad Khan.
In terms of overseas options, GT have Gerald Coetzee, Rabada’s team-mate from the South Africa national set-up. With two wins on the trot, GT will next face IPL 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Sunday.
–IANS
nr/
