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Kagiso Rabada might still return for GT this IPL after suspension for recreational drug use

May 3, 2025
<a href="https://revsportz.in/author/boria/" rel="author" class="url fn n" itemprop="url"><img alt='' src='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e660b408ca5a915f1c718d0cd98a879b?s=32&d=mm&r=g' srcset='https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/e660b408ca5a915f1c718d0cd98a879b?s=64&d=mm&r=g 2x' class='avatar avatar-32 photo' height='32' width='32' decoding='async'/> <span class="" itemprop="name">Boria Majumdar</span></a>
Kagiso Rabada for GT (Image: Gujarat Titans)

Kagiso Rabada has put out a statement saying that he returned to South Africa because of a provisional suspension for using a banned recreational drug. Since the time he put out the statement, speculation is rife over how long will he be out of action. KP Mohan, one of the most knowledgeable on the subject, helped us understand the implications.

“In case of a banned recreational drug, it could be as little as one month as well,” said Mohan. “You might be asked to attend a few classes if needed to quit the habit or the addiction, and if you follow what has been asked, you can be let off in a month also. In other extreme cases, people have been exonerated as well.”

Recently, James Carter Jr., of Coralville, Iowa, a track-and-field athlete, accepted a one-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) statement said: “Carter, 24, tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a urinary metabolite of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, marijuana, and hashish, above the urinary Decision Limit, as the result of a sample collected in-competition at the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships on February 22, 2025.

 

“Cannabis, marijuana, and hashish are Specified Substances in the class of Cannabinoids and are prohibited in-competition under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code) and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.

“THC is classified under a special category that allows for a reduced three-month sanction if the athlete establishes that their use of the substance occurred out-of-competition and was unrelated to sport performance.”

Will Rabada be able to return to IPL action anytime soon? Chances are that he might be, based on what Mohan has suggested. It also depends on who the testing authority is and who has handed him the suspension. If it is something on the lines stated above, he could well be available to the Gujarat Titans in the play-off stage provided they are able to make the top four, which looks increasingly likely.

For Rabada, he will want to forget the episode and move on. This could well have been a moment of weakness and he ought to have learnt his lesson. Cricket, like he has said in the statement, is of huge importance to him, and it can be conjectured that he’d never again make the same mistake.