Rabada won’t be available for the playoffs, as he will return to South Africa to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final.
Gujarat Titans (GT) would be pleased to have Kagiso Rabada back after missing several matches in IPL 2025. He will play the remaining league stage games, as GT look to qualify for the playoffs and seal a top-two position.
However, Rabada won’t be available for the playoffs, as he will return to South Africa to prepare for the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final. Hence, GT must seek a temporary replacement player for the remaining matches and fill the void.
We look at three players who can replace Kagiso Rabada in the IPL 2025 playoffs.
Naveen-ul-Haq is among the few options available to replace Kagiso Rabada. He has previous experience playing in the IPL and is not employed anywhere else.
He is a new-ball specialist with various slower ones to operate effectively in death overs. While playing for LSG, Naveen snared 25 wickets at 23.64 runs apiece in 17 innings, including a four-wicket haul.
These numbers suggest he is a genuine wicket-taker who can perform the role Rabada did for GT, bowling mainly in the powerplay and one over at the death. Naveen will come into the XI straight away if he is included.
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Ottneil Baartman has seen a significant rise as a bowler since last year. He rose to fame with terrific bowling performances in SA20, which opened the doors for a national selection in the T20 World Cup.
Baartman is a skiddy bowler who targets stumps and rushes the batter with his pace. That makes him effective as a new-ball bowler, who can extract movement.
He has 17 T20I wickets at an average of 19.23 in 12 innings, including a four-wicket haul. Baartman will be mighty effective on Indian decks since the bounce often remains a tad low and can help his craft.
Luke Wood is another option to replace Kagiso Rabada in the playoffs. He plays in various T20 leagues and knows how franchise cricket works.
He is a new-ball specialist specialising in moving the ball early on and bringing wickets upfront. While he can also give a few overs in the back end, Wood’s best value comes in the powerplay.
Further, he brings a left-arm angle to provide variety to the bowling attack and has previous experience in the IPL. He played for the Mumbai Indians (MI) but was expensive in two games.
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