Kagiso Rabada’s ban for a doping violation has been reduced from three months to one, following an incident during the SA20 earlier this year.

The Proteas fast bowler tested positive for a recreational drug after a match between MI Cape Town and Durban’s Super Giants on 21 January. The South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (Saids) confirmed the result, and Rabada was notified of the ban on 1 April while in India for the 2025 IPL season.

His IPL franchise, the Gujarat Titans, later revealed that Rabada had returned to South Africa for personal reasons after playing only two matches in the season.

The reduced ban aligns with World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) regulations for the use of recreational drugs, such as cannabis and cocaine. This follows a similar sanction imposed on New Zealand’s Doug Bracewell last year for testing positive for cocaine.

Rabada has since completed an education and awareness programme to prevent future substance abuse, and he is now eligible to return to action immediately. He could feature for Gujarat in their next match against the Mumbai Indians.

Rabada’s ban has proven to be very costly. The fast bowler faces a significant loss of R23-million before tax. Additionally, CSA will lose about R4.6-million, as they receive a 20% share of each player’s deal.

CSA has expressed no intention to impose further punishment, calling the incident “regrettable” but acknowledging Rabada’s commitment to professional standards. Rabada has apologised for his actions, expressing regret for letting down his supporters and vowing to never take his cricketing career for granted.

The fast bowler is expected to be available for South Africa’s World Test Championship final against Australia next month, where he will be a key figure in their bowling attack.

Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images