• Home
  • Who Said What
  • Ill Never Be Mr I Apologise Too Much Kagiso Rabada Breaks Silence On Drug Ban

"I'll Never Be Mr-I-Apologise-Too-Much" Kagiso Rabada Breaks Silence On Drug Ban

Rajgeeta Yadav

Kagiso Rabada opens up [Source: @ProteasMenCSA/X.com]Kagiso Rabada opens up [Source: @ProteasMenCSA/X.com]

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has admitted he made a mistake by using drugs, which led to a brief suspension from cricket. However, he says he's ready to move on and focus on playing again.

Rabada suddenly left the Indian Premier League (IPL) on April 3, saying it was for personal reasons. A month later, he revealed that he had tested positive for a recreational drug during South Africa's local T20 league, the SA20, earlier this year. This led to a temporary suspension by Cricket South Africa.

Now, Rabada is set to return to international cricket in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, where South Africa will face Australia. At a press meet in London, Rabada said he felt it was important to talk honestly with his teammates about what happened.

Kagiso Rabada Admits Drug Mistake

The drug Rabada tested positive for hasn’t been named, but it was one listed by South Africa’s anti-doping rules, including substances like cannabis, cocaine, heroin, or ecstasy. He didn’t go into detail about how it happened but said the suspension gave him time to reflect.

"It led me to a bit of introspection about myself, and I took some time away from the game," he said. "I think the biggest thing I took away from it is having gratitude for playing the game that we love. I'm just glad to be playing again… the process was handled really well,"  Rabada was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

Rabada apologized to those he disappointed, especially those close to him.

"As you would have seen in my statement there are some people who would have been disappointed. And to those people I'm deeply sorry," Rabada said.

"But life moves on. I'll never be 'Mr-I-Apologise-Too-Much'. But I'll never condone that action," he concluded.

Rabada played four matches for Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2025, taking two wickets. Now that his ban is over, he’s ready to lead South Africa’s fast bowling attack in the WTC Final against Australia.