3 Potential Replacements Of Kagiso Rabada In Gujarat Titans' IPL 2025 Squad

Kagiso Rabada for GT in IPL 2025 (Source: AP Photos)

Kagiso Rabada is one of the finest bowlers in world cricket currently, and after playing for Punjab Kings in last IPL cycle, he is part of Gujarat Titans for the 2025 edition. He played initial two matches for the franchise as well and picked one wicket in each game. However, he was not part of the playing XI in the RCB game due to personal reasons, and has now left for the rainbow nation on the same grounds.

There is no clarity over the date of his return or his availability for the rest of the season, and if he does fail to comeback, it would be a big blow for GT. They would have to look at his replacement too, and in this article, we will look at the three players who can fill his place if Rabada misses rest of the season.

3. Alzarri Joseph

The fast bowler from Antigua has been leading West Indies' pace attack in white-ball formats for quite a few years now. He can notch up impressive speeds and has the abiltiy to run through the batting line-ups when he is in his zone, something which he showed on his IPL debut back in 2019 for MI.

However, he has not been consistent with the ball in IPL, and after getting a contract of 11.50 Crore from RCB in the last edition, he could manage just one wicket in three matches. Thus, he went unsold in IPL 2025 auction, but as shown in the table below, he has impressive numbers and can be an able replacement of Kagiso Rabada.

Alzarri Joseph's Bowling Record In T20s

He also played for GT in IPL 2022 and 2023, and picked 14 wickets for them, and this familiarity with the franchise could go in his favour. 

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2. Naveen-ul-Haq

Naveen-ul-Haq is another quality bowler who went unsold in IPL 2025 auction. He is a quality T20 batter, and his non-selection surprised quite a few cricket pundits. Naveen-ul-Haq did quite well in the two years he played for LSG and has 25 wickets in 17 innings at an average of 23.64.

Naveen-ul-Haq's Bowling Record In T20s

As evident from the table, he is a wicket-taker in the shortest format, and is known for his death-bowling skills. He can nail yorkers, and has plethora of variations in his kitty, which would make him a handy bowler in conditions were batters are attacking bowlers all the time. Also, GT do not have a quality death-bowler in their ranks, and his addition can add more variety and depth to their line-up.

1. Mustafizur Rahman

The Bangladesh pacer did brilliantly in IPL 2024 for CSK, picking 14 wickets in just nine matches, but still went unsold in IPL 2025 mega auction. Thus, if Kagiso Rabada gets ruled out of the rest of the season, Mustafizur can be a great addition to the GT bowling attack. 

He has the potential to pick wickets with the new ball, but more importantly, he can be a handy death bowler too, giving GT a reliable and experienced option at the backend of the innings.

Mustafizur Rahman's Bowling Record In T20s

Also, Mustafizur has experience of playing 57 IPL games where he has picked 61 wickets, and has been very successful all across the globe as a T20 bowler. The table shows his wicket-taking abilities, and he had a fruitful 2024 at the international level too, picking 27 wickets in 18 T20I innings. Also, he will provide a variety with his left-arm angle, and it makes him a handy replacement option.

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