South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has recently confirmed that he had returned a positive test for a recreational drug and therefore was suspended for some time from cricket, causing him to miss the IPL 2025 GT versus MI fixture; Tim Paine is less than happy about the way the matter was treated.
Rabada, one of GT’s main players, was said to have missed the MI fixture due to personal reasons. He soon came open to the public and said that he had failed a drug test during the SA20 league in January. While the public was asked to remain silent for the few weeks with the excuse of ‘personal issues,’ now we know why he had to step out. He has returned to South Africa to serve his ban and will be back with his team shortly.
Paine remarked on the manner in which the situation was handled on SEN Radio. He said that these situations must never be swept under the carpet as “personal issues.” He said it stinks: I don’t like using ‘personal issues’ to cover up something serious. If a professional athlete tests positive for drugs during a tournament, that’s not just a personal issue; that’s a breach of their contract.
He went on to say, “Using drugs, recreational or performance-enhancing, isn’t something that can just be hidden for a month. A player gets taken out of the IPL and sent back home, and we just act like it’s no big deal. Then we bring him back once his ban is over.”
When an athlete is tested positive in recreational drugs like for cocaine, heroin, or cannabis, generally under WADA rules, it results in a three-month ban. However, if the player establishes that the incident took place out of competition and goes through rehabilitation, the three months can be reduced to one month.
Gujarat Titans‘ assistant coach Ashish Kapoor had stated earlier on that Rabada left the IPL due to what he called “personal reasons,” saying it was family-related. He also said Rabada might come back for the second half of the tournament if all went well. However, Rabada’s recent social media post has cleared the air about the reason behind his absence.
