Gujarat Titans dealt heavy blow as Kagiso Rabada returns home; no clarity on return date

With GT giving no clarity on Kagiso Rabada's return date, they could rely on his compatriot, Gerald Coetzee, who they picked up for INR 2.4 crore in the auction

Gujarat Titans suffered a massive blow on Thursday as fast bowler Kagiso Rabada returned home to South Africa in the middle of the ongoing 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rabada had earlier missed GT's [previous game, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Wednesday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Gujarat Titans' player Kagiso Rabada missed IPL 2025 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, in Bengaluru (PTI)

In a statement released by the franchise, Rabada, who played in Gujarat Titans' first two matches of the IPL 2025, returned home for personal reasons. "Kagiso Rabada has returned to South Africa to deal with an important personal matter," said a statement by Gujarat Titans.

On Wednesday, GT captain Shubman Gill announced at the toss that Rabada had been omitted from the playing XI for the match against RCB for personal reasons. The South African fast bowler had endured expensive outings in Gujarat's opening two games of the season, returning with figures of 1-41 against Punjab Kings and 1-42 against Mumbai.

In Rabada's stead, Arshad Khan was drafted into the playing XI, and the left-armer troubled Virat Kohli with the new ball before dismissing him for seven runs in the match. With GT giving no clarity on Rabada's return date, they could rely on his compatriot, Gerald Coetzee, who they picked up for INR 2.4 crore in the auction last November, or Afghanistan all-rounder Karim Janat.