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.
“With Kagiso, as far as tomorrow’s match is concerned, the fact is he is now available, given all of the decisions that have been taken and whatever has transpired over the past month or so,” Solanki told the media during GT’s training session here at the Wankhede Stadium.
“Kagiso has expressed regret at an error in judgement. He’s made a telling statement.”
“He has expressed regret, as I said, but is very much looking forward to getting back to playing the game he loves. He will take his sort of lessons from this and we’re just looking forward to having him back at practice,” Solanki said.
“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,” he said.
“We tried to be mindful of the emotion around Kagiso as well. He’s now back, having served the time, (a) suspension for 30 days and what we’re looking for now is for him to just be back doing what he loves, and for him to be doing stuff that we appreciate him doing and that is to be part of the cricket team.”
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.”
