Kagiso Rabada has served his time, says GT’s director of cricket | Cricket News

Bengaluru: Gujarat Titans’ player Kagiso Rabada during a training session ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

Gujarat Titans director of cricket Vikram Solanki has cleared air on the return of speedster Kagiso Rabada and said the South African has served his time and is available for the Mumbai Indians clash on Tuesday.
Kagiso Rabada was tested positive after taking recreational drugs was hidden from public view. In April, Rabada flew home after playing first two matches of IPL 2025 for the Titans.
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“With Kagiso, as far as tomorrow’s match is concerned, the fact is he is now available given all the decisions that have been taken and whatever has transpired over the past month or so,” he told reporters.
“And in speaking about Kagiso, I suppose I’d like to just get a couple of things across. The first of which would be that Kagiso has expressed regret at an error in judgement. He’s made a telling statement, an ironic statement.
“And I thought that his statement speaks volumes about the personality, the character that he is. He has expressed regret, as I said. But he’s very much looking forward to getting back to playing the game he loves.

“He will take his lessons from this. And we’re just looking forward to having him back part of our group, having him back in practice. He’s served his time.
“The second thing I’d like to place on the record is that as far as procedure and protocol is concerned, everybody that’s been involved in this episode, right from Kagiso, his representatives, all matters as far as requirements have been followed to the letter. We try to be mindful of the emotion around Kagiso as well. But having said all of that, he’s now back having served the time, the ban, the suspension for 30 days.”
Solanki also made it clear that team management is behind Rabada.
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“The team will of course support him. It’s our job to support the players we have. Whether it be on a matter of form or on a matter of personal matters like this,” he said.
“We will be supportive if we can be so. We’re confident that he has had some time to think about things. He’s spent some time, I suppose, understanding how much he actually loves playing this game.
“The message certainly in the conversations I’ve had with him is that he doesn’t want for any stage to take playing this game to be largely for granted. I suppose if that is the mindset he is of, it sort of holds him in good stead as well as the rest of the group in good stead.”