Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada recently returned to South Africa due to personal reasons.
Gujarat Titans (GT) were without their star pacer Kagiso Rabada in their eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during their IPL 2025 match on Wednesday. Kagiso Rabada returned to South Africa due to some personal reasons after having played Gujarat Titans’ opening two matches of IPL 2025.
Gujarat Titans had confirmed via a statement that Kagiso Rabada had returned home due to personal reasons. “Kagiso Rabada has returned to South Africa to deal with an important personal matter,” read the statement from the IPL 2022 champions. However, the franchise has not clarified on a potential return date of the senior Proteas pacer.
Kagiso Rabada has taken two wickets from as many matches he has played in IPL 2025 so far. He registered figures of 1/41 against his former side Punjab Kings, before claiming figures of 1/42 against Mumbai Indians in the second match. Gujarat Titans had acquired the right-arm pacer for INR 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction and his absence comes as a significant blow.
The Johannesburg-born player is one of the most consistent bowlers in the IPL. In IPL 2024, he took 11 wickets from as many matches while playing for Punjab Kings. His best IPL season was in 2020, when he took 30 wickets from 17 matches to end as the top wicket-taker and win the Purple Cap award.
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He had become only the second bowler, after the legendary Dwayne Bravo, to take 30 wickets or more in a season. Bravo had won the Purple Cap in 2014 with 32 wickets. He played for Chennai Super Kings that season.
All-rounder Arshad Khan played in place of Rabada against Royal Challengers Bengaluru and registered figures of 1/17. Pacer Mohammed Siraj (3/19) and spinner R Sai Kishore (2/22) were also equally impressive as Gujarat Titans restricted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 169/8 in Bengaluru.
In the visitors’ reply, Jos Buttler top-scored with an unbeaten 73 as Gujarat Titans won by eight wickets. The Shubman Gill-led side, fourth in the standings, will take on a struggling Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in their next match on Sunday.
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