Kagiso Rabada cleared to play again after serving doping suspension

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has served a one-month ban, commuted from three months, for drug use during the SA20 earlier this year.

A statement issued by the South African Institute for Drug Free Sports (SAIDS) confirmed Rabada had failed a doping test on January 21, after the match between MI Cape Town and Durban Super Giants, and he was notified of the result on April 1 when he was in India for IPL 2025. On April 3, his IPL franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) said Rabada had returned to South Africa for personal reasons after playing only two matches this season.

According to SAIDS, Rabada has since participated in an education and awareness programme to prevent further substance abuse. He can resume playing immediately and could return to action as soon as Tuesday, when GT play Mumbai Indians (MI).

Rabada's sanction is in line with the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) punishment for use of a recreational drug - including cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine or diamorphine. A similar punishment was handed to New Zealand's Doug Bracewell last year after he tested positive for cocaine during the Super Smash.

However, there are instances of longer suspensions, which are up to individual boards. Last year, Zimbabwe's Wessly Madhevere and Brandon Mavuta were banned from playing for four months each and fined 50% of their salaries for three months after testing positive for a recreational drug. In that instance, Zimbabwe Cricket chose to impose a sanction longer than the WADA recommendations.

It is not expected that Cricket South Africa will impose further punishment on Rabada after it issued a statement on Saturday afternoon calling the incident "regrettable". CSA is satisfied with Rabada's "commitment to upholding professional standards" after he apologised through the South African Cricketers' Association when news of his positive drug test broke at the weekend.

"I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down," Rabada said. "I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations."

With the matter considered closed, Rabada will be available for South Africa for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia next month, where he is crucial to their chances. Rabada was South Africa's leading wicket-taker in the 2023-2025 WTC cycle with 47 wickets at an average of 19.97.

However, not everyone considers the case to be as open and shut as CSA.

Speaking to SEN Radio, former Australia captain Tim Paine was critical of the statement initially issued by GT to explain Rabada's absence from the IPL.

"It stinks. I don't like this use around 'personal issues', and it being used to hide stuff that isn't a personal issue," Paine told SEN Radio on Monday. "If you have a professional sportsman that's tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn't fall under personal issues for me. That falls under you have broken your contract.

"That is not a personal issue, that is something that is happening in your personal life. Taking drugs - recreational or performance enhancing - is not a personal issue that can just be hidden for a month. A guy can be taken out of the IPL, moved back to South Africa, and we just let it slide under the rug. Then we will bring him back once he's already served his ban."

ESPNcricinfo contacted CSA and SACA officials multiple times after Rabada returned home from the IPL and were told he was dealing with a "personal issue", while some officials claimed not to know anything about why he had come home.