Parthiv Patel declines to guarantee Kagiso Rabada a place in GT XI after doping ban

Gujarat Titans (GT) assistant coach Parthiv Patel has declined to guarantee the star South Africa National Cricket Team pacer Kagiso Rabada a place in the GT XI after his doping ban controversy.

Parthiv Patel, however, said that they are delighted to have Kagiso Rabada in the squad and have no questions over what he brings to the table for the Gujarat Titans.

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Kagiso Rabada controversy explained

After playing just two matches for the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2025 against the Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, premier pacer Kagiso Rabada returned back home due to personal reasons.

Later, it was revealed that Rabada had been found guilty of recreational drug use. Hence, he was handed a suspension, which was the actual reason behind his missing the matches for the Gujarat Titans.

Rabada failed a doping test on January 21, after the SA20 match between MI Cape Town and Durban Super Giants. He received the result of the test on April 1 when he was in India, and a ban of three months was handed down to him.

However, it was trimmed to one month after Rabada participated in an education and awareness program to prevent further substance abuse. The drug that Rabada was found using was Cocaine.

Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada missed the 56th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 on Tuesday, May 6, against Mumbai Indians despite joining the Gujarat Titans squad, and the GT Director of Cricket confirming his availability.

At the toss, skipper Shubman Gill revealed the reason behind the non-selection of Kagiso Rabada, stating that the Proteas pacer needs some more practice before he gets ready to play matches.

Final decision on the playing XI will be taken by Shubman and Ashish Nehra - Parthiv Patel

Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the DC vs GT clash on Sunday, May 18, Gujarat Titans assistant coach Parthiv Patel was asked about Rabada's selection in the playing XI, to which he responded by saying that they will decide the team on match day.

"Obviously, the playing XI will be decided tomorrow, but it's great to have someone like Kagiso Rabada in the mix — he's performed really well and there's no question about his credentials. That said, the final decision on the playing XI will be taken by Shubman and Ashish Nehra together,” stated Parthiv Patel.

Jos Buttler won't be there for the playoffs - Parthiv Patel

Parthiv Patel further said that they are aware of the fact that the star wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler will not be available for the playoffs of IPL 2025 and will soon decide the team combination in his absence.

"Yes, now we know he (Buttler) won't be there for the playoffs — that's clear and everyone is aware of it. Right now, what's important for us is that he's available for the last three games. We'll assess things as we go — see how the team balance shapes up and what combination we want to go with. Someone like Buttler has been a great performer for us. He's kept well and is a real leader within the group. We'll make further decisions when the time comes, but as of now, he's available for those three games."

Notably, Jos Buttler will fly back to join the England National Cricket Team for the white-ball series against the West Indies National Cricket Team, and the Gujarat Titans have signed Kusal Mendis as his replacement for the playoffs.