Revealed: Which recreational drug Kagiso Rabada used which led to his ban

By Vikas Singh Derek

Vikas Singh Derek has a Master's in Journalism and has written more than 50,000 articles. He currently works as a cricket content writer at Khel Now.

Published at :June 4, 2025 at 6:21 PM

Modified at :June 4, 2025 at 6:22 PM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

Kagiso Rabada faced a one-month ban by Cricket South Africa.

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada faced a big blow a couple of months ago as he faced a ban by Cricket South Africa (CSA). Rabada was found guilty of using a recreational drug during South Africa’s franchise T20 league, SA20 in January this year. Hence, he was handed a one-month ban from April 1 to May 1.

Kagiso Rabada was playing for Gujarat Titans (GT) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 when he was handed with the ban. He played two games in the tournament at the start. However, he immediately returned to his home country after the incident.

The franchise informed that Rabada left the tournament midway due to personal reasons. However, later it was revealed that he was banned due to consumption of recreational drugs. Rabada returned to the GT camp in May after completing his ban. He also apologised to the fans in an official statement after serving his one-month ban.

Kagiso Rabada was banned for the use of cocaine

CSA and Rabada always used the word recreational drugs in official statements after the incident. Now, the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) has revealed that the recreational drug which Rabada used was cocaine. He tested positive for cocaine during his stint in SA20 2025. After returning to IPL 2025, Rabada played two more games for his team GT.

Meanwhile, the Proteas pacer is part of South Africa’ ‘s squad for the forthcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. The encounter will take place between South Africa and Australia from June 11 at the Lord’s, London.

Ahead of departing to England for the preparation for ICC WTC 2023-25 final, Rabada said in a press conference that he is apologetic to his fans but has moved on from the incident. He also added that he will have a detailed conversation with his teammates over the matter after the ICC WTC 2023-25 final.

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Vikas Singh Derek

Vikas Singh Derek is a core cricket-lover since childhood and has always followed the sport both in his personal and professional life. He started his school life by watching cricket at home with family. Later, he played cricket on the field at local clubs during college. After his Master's in Journalism from Mumbai, he followed his passion by covering cricket news across various digital media. Since 2015, he has been an aspiring sports journalist and cricket content writer with over 50K+ articles.