Kagiso Rabada Archives

Kagiso Rabada ruled out of second India Test

GUWAHATI: South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the second and final Test against India, starting here on Saturday, because of injury.

The World Test champions won the first match and are chasing a first series win on Indian soil since Hansie Cronje’s team triumphed there in 2000. They must again do without Rabada, who also missed the victory in Kolkata with a rib injury.

“Lungi Ngidi has been added. In terms of starting XI, we will finalise that tomorrow once we take one last look at the wicket,” captain Temba Bavuma said on Friday.

The tourists won a low-scoring opener at Eden Gardens inside three days after they bundled out India for 93 while chasing 124.

“The mood is buoyant amongst the boys,” Bavuma said. “We’re excited to try and replicate our performances as we did in the first Test.”

“We’ll just try and make sure that we lock in for the next five days.”

South Africa beat India at their own game of spin in Kolkata on a turning pitch with uneven bounce.

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Pundits slammed the track, where South African spinner Simon Harmer returned match figures of 8-51.

Bavuma made a best individual score of 55.

“I think it will be a more traditional sub-continent wicket,” Bavuma said of the Guwahati strip.

“Good for batting the first two days, and then on day three, the spinners should come into play.

“So I think all the fundamentals that come with playing in the sub-continent, first innings becomes crucial from a batting point of view to really set the game up.”

South Africa beat Australia to win the World Test Championship (WTC) final in June at Lord’s and recently drew 1-1 in Pakistan.

Bavuma has an unbeaten record as Test captain in 11 outings, winning 10 and drawing one.

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Rabada lauds Babar Azam as Pakistan’s batting backbone

South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada heaped high praise on Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam, describing him as a ‘rock’ in the team’s batting lineup.

Appearing on a ‘Beard Before Podcast’, co-hosted by England’s Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, Rabada reflected on his cricketing career and different aspects of the game.

Speaking about the toughest batters to bowl at, Rabada singled out Babar’s resilience and grit.

“Babar Azam is a rock, especially in Pakistan. It’s like, ‘man, how do you get this guy out? ‘” stated Rabada.

The right-arm pacer has dismissed Babar Azam four times in international cricket, with three of those wickets coming in Tests and one in ODIs.

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Moreover, despite having success against former Australia opener David Warner, the pacer named him as the toughest batter to bowl at, emphasizing his unique batting ability.

“I actually found David Warner quite tough to bowl to. I think he’s the hardest because he was so unorthodox. He used to cut a lot of balls, and whenever I dropped my length short, he would just latch onto it and cut,” said Rabada.

“He was the only guy who could do that against me. He was very hard. As much as I had a lot of success against him, I thought he was very tough to bowl to,” Rabada remarked.

The 30-year-old also picked the Fab four: India’s Virat Kohli, England’s Joe Root, Australia’s Steve Smith, and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson as the most difficult batters to bowl at.

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South Africa quick Rabada out of Australia ODI series with injury

South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the three-match ODI series against Australia because of inflammation in his ankle.

Rabada played all three T20I matches in the preceding series between the teams but underwent a scan on Monday after feeling discomfort.

South Africa announced Rabada’s withdrawal just one hour before the ongoing first ODI against Australia in Cairns.

Left-arm 19-year-old quick Kwena Maphaka, who claimed a leading nine wickets in the T20I series, has been added to the squad but was overlooked for the series-opener.

Veteran quick Lungi Ngidi leads the South African attack in the series opener, featuring off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, who makes his ODI debut.

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It’s worth noting that Kagiso Rabada will remain on the Australia tour, where he will undergo rehabilitation.

With Rabada unavailable and Marco Jansen still recovering from thumb surgery, the fast bowling options in the squad include Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi, and Maphaka.

Additionally, seam-bowling all-rounders Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder are also part of the tour.

For spin options, the team has Keshav Maharaj, Senuran Muthusamy, and Prenelan Subrayen.

Following the first match, the teams will move to Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena for the next two matches. Meanwhile, Australia won the hard-fought T20I series 2-1.

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Kagiso Rabada achieves major milestone in WTC final

LONDON: South Africa’s speedster Kagiso Rabada achieved a significant milestone on the opening day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final here at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Wednesday.

The right-arm pacer made history by becoming South Africa’s 4th highest Test wicket-taker, surpassing the legendary Allan Donald and securing his place in the record books.

Before the WTC final, Kagiso Rabada needed four wickets to surpass Allen Donald with 327 scalps to his name.

Most wickets for South Africa in Tests

Dale Steyn – 439 wickets in 93 Tests

Shaun Pollock – 421 wickets in 108 Tests

Mkhaya Ntini – 390 wickets in 101 Tests

Kagiso Rabada – 332 wickets in 71* matches

The pacer was instrumental in bundling out the defending champions Australia for a meagre total of 212 in the first innings. He started with an opening burst, removing opener Usman Khawaja for a duck. The 30-year-old then picked up Cameron Green to jolt the Aussies.

Following the tea break, Rabada returned to pick up the crucial wicket of well-set Beau Webster to etch his name into history books.

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With 331 wickets to his name, Rabada now eyes Dale Steyn’s record for the most wickets by a Proteas player in Tests.

South Africa were in a commanding position after removing Australia for 212 in their first innings.

Beau Webster was the top scorer for Australia with 72 runs, while Steve Smith played elegantly, scoring 66 runs.

Kagiso Rabada excelled with the ball for South Africa, taking five wickets for 51 runs in 15.4 overs, while Marco Jansen made a valuable contribution by claiming three wickets.

It’s worth noting that this marks the maiden appearance for South Africa in a WTC Final, after topping the points table with an impressive 69.44% points percentage, a campaign that saw them win 8 out of 12 Tests.

Meanwhile, Australia are standing on the brink of history, poised to become the first team ever to successfully defend their title in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).

They defeated India in a thrilling final during the last WTC cycle at The Oval back in 2023.

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Kagiso Rabada sends strong message to Australia ahead of WTC final

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada has fired a warning shot to Australia ahead of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final, making it clear that their trademark sledging won’t rattle him.

Set to return for the all-important final at Lord’s starting June 11, the South African speedster is eyeing redemption, both on and off the field, after serving a brief suspension for recreational drug use.

Now cleared to play, the 30-year-old is expected to be one of South Africa’s key weapons as they chase their maiden WTC crown.

“They come at you, and I think that gets the best out of me,” Rabada told SABC Sport.

“Any type of verbal abuse, or if the media wants to say something, that’s normal. That’s the field we play in. You can’t be ignorant of it; you’ve got to be aware.

“But it’s not going to slow me down. They’ve been notorious for that over the years, right? So yeah, let’s see.”

Kagiso Rabada has a fiery history with the Aussies — from on-field run-ins to the infamous Steve Smith shoulder bump during the “Sandpapergate” series, and his return sets the stage for yet another high-octane contest between the two sides.

Former South Africa assistant coach Malibongwe Maketa also chimed in, cautioning Australia against provoking Rabada.

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“I think the Australians have learned now,” Maketa said. “I don’t think the current crop of players would say too much to KG because they know what it would bring out in him.”

Maketa further highlighted how Australia’s presence brings a different kind of pressure — one that Kagiso Rabada feeds off.

“It’s relentless — the body language, the aggression, even the crowd. But KG thrives in that. He doesn’t run from pressure; he walks into it.”

Speaking about his recent off-field controversy, Rabada acknowledged the mistake and said the time away gave him perspective.

“Look, this is not an ideal situation,” he said. “It forced me to reflect, to be grateful for what I have. People will have their opinions, I’m okay with that. I’m just happy to be back doing what I love.”

South Africa qualified for the WTC final after a strong campaign, winning eight out of 12 matches.

Despite a 2-0 defeat in New Zealand and a drawn series at home against India (1-1), the Proteas bounced back with clean sweeps over Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, along with a 1-0 win over the West Indies.

South Africa squad for WTC Final: Temba Bavuma (captain), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Kyle Verreynne, David Bedingham, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson.

READ: South Africa spinner pays heartfelt tribute to retiring Heinrich Klaasen

SACA chief slams former Australia captain over Rabada drug ban comments

South Africa Cricketers’ Association (SACA) chief Andrew Breetzke has launched a scathing attack on former Australia captain Tim Paine for his remarks regarding fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s drug ban.

Kagiso Rabada served a one-month ban for recreational drug use during the SA20 earlier this year. According to a report in the South African newspaper Rapport, traces of benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine, were found in his urine sample.

Rabada suddenly left the Indian Premier League (IPL) after playing only twice for the Gujarat Titans to return home last month. On his return, he completed an education and awareness programme to prevent further substance abuse

Later, the South African fast bowler apologized for the use of the drug while emphasizing that he would never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted.

“I am deeply sorry to all those that I have let down. I will never take the privilege of playing cricket for granted. This privilege is much larger than me. It goes beyond my personal aspirations,” he said in a statement.

A day earlier, Tim Paine expressed disappointment with Rabada’s comeback, following the ban. He said that when a professional athlete tests positive for recreational drugs during a tournament, it shouldn’t be label a personal issue.

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“It stinks.” “I don’t like this use around personal issues, and it is being used to hide stuff that isn’t a personal issue,” he said on a Radio show.”

“If you have a professional sportsman who’s tested for recreational drugs during a tournament in which he is playing, that doesn’t fall under personal issues for me. That falls under you having broken your contract. That is not a personal issue; that is something that is happening in your personal life,” he added.

Now, SACA CEO Breetzke slammed Paine for his remarks, calling it ‘naive’.

“The criticism that’s coming from Australia is somewhat naive and lacks understanding of how doping processes are managed,” he said.

“Effectively, he [Rabada] was notified on the first of April of the positive test, and we consulted with him on the 1st of April for the first time,” he added.

SACA chief also highlighted the process following a doping ban, stressing the rules while acknowledging Kagiso Rabada’s professionalism

“In accordance with the SAIDS and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) rules, there is a clear process that follows out of that, and we started that process immediately with him flying back to South Africa, getting the legal team together, the medical experts together and started the process relative to the rules,” explained Breetzke.

“We ticked off those boxes, and that’s how the process unfolded over the month of April. It was professionally dealt with, and KG [Rabada] was absolutely professional, open, and honest in the process, which is why we were able to do it within that time frame,” Breetzke concluded.

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Kagiso Rabada calls for balance between bat and ball in cricket

South Africa speedster Kagiso Rabada has shared his thoughts on the balance between bat and ball, stating that cricket can also be referred to as a batting sport.

The 29-year-old pacer, who is currently representing Gujrat Titans in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 18th edition, shed light on the playing conditions in cricket during an interview with the Indian news outlet.

On a question regarding high-scoring games in the IPL, Rabada stressed that too much imbalance in the game could take the fun out of the sport.

“The game has to progress somehow, but I don’t think it can just get too flat, like every single game. It would take the fun out of it,” said Kagiso Rabada.

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“You know, then you might as well call our sport Batting and not Cricket. I have no issues with a few records being broken, that’s fine, ” he further remarked.

Kagiso Rabada admitted that high-scoring games are enjoyable, but low-scoring games also hade their value.

“High-scoring games are good, but so are low-scoring games. But you can’t have it tilting either side too dramatically, there needs to be a balance that is maintained between bat and ball, ” he said.

The right-arm pacer commented on the use of two new balls in ODI cricket, mentioning that scoring for the finishing batters had become easier in the last phase of the innings.

“It has made it easier for batters in the death overs. The two new balls were introduced to level the playing field in the Powerplays because of flatter wickets.”

“I do think, especially, in the last phase of the ODIs, the finishing batters back in the day had to be more skilled because of reverse swing on offer. It’s now easier for batters with two harder balls, they can just swing through the line. It’s much harder to hit a softer ball,” he concluded.

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Kagiso Rabada dethrones Jasprit Bumrah to top ICC Test Bowling Rankings

DUBAI: South African pacer Kagiso Rabada has replaced Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah to become the top-ranked bowler in the latest International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Test Bowling Rankings on Wednesday.

Rabada reached the summit of Test bowling after his match-winning performance in the first Test of the ongoing series against Bangladesh.

The right-arm pacer claimed nine wickets in the match and breached the 300-wicket landmark during South Africa’s seven-wicket victory last week.

As a result of his brilliant performance, Kagiso Rabada made a leap of three places to reclaim the top spot in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings for the first time since 2019.

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Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah dropped two places to third after a below-par performance in India’s two losses against New Zealand in the ongoing home Test series.

Bumrah took three wickets in the first Test, where India were bundled for 46 in the first innings, and remained wicketless in the second match.

His team-mate Ravichandran Ashwin, who took six wickets in two Tests against New Zealand, also lost two places and is now placed fourth with 831 rating points.

As a result of Bumrah and Ashwin’s decline, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood gained one spot to claim second place in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

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Maharaj, Rabada help South Africa to keep hopes of West Indies win alive

PORT OF SPAIN: Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada helped South Africa bundle West Indies in the first innings to keep the hopes of an unlikely victory alive going into the final day of the first Test of a two-match series.

Steady rain restricted play to just the final session on the fourth day but in that time South Africa dismissed the home side for 233 in the first innings and then made their intentions clear in reaching 30 without loss off five overs in the second innings at the close.

With an overall lead of 154 runs and all ten wickets in hand, the Proteas will be hoping for a full day’s play on Sunday for their batsmen to try and at least lay the platform which will give the bowlers a chance to put the Caribbean side under pressure in the final innings of this truncated match.

“Hopefully we can get a full day because that will obviously give us a realistic chance of getting a result,” said South Africa captain Temba Bavuma after his team made the most of the limited playing time on day four.

“To use the old cliche, we will have to take care of the first hour to set it up and if it’s going our way then we can throw caution to the wind to see what happens.

“But it’s imperative that we set it up in that first hour,” he added.

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Resuming at 145 for four, Kavem Hodge and Jason Holder extended their fifth-wicket partnership to 49 only for Aiden Markram’s occasional off-spin to achieve the breakthrough when he bowled Holder for 36.

Maharaj then claimed his fourth wicket of the innings when he quickly removed Joshua da Silva before Kagiso Rabada, who was kept waiting to use the second new ball as Bavuma gave Maharaj and Markram a chance for more success, triggered a collapse with three quick wickets.

Kavem Hodge and Gudakesh Motie both fell to sharp slip catches while Kemar Roach was trapped leg-before as the fast bowler lifted his tally of Test wickets to 294 in his 63rd match, all before his 30th birthday.

It was left to Jomel Warrican, the leading wicket-taker in South Africa’s first innings with four for 69, to show his worth with the bat in belting an unbeaten 35 off 32 balls with three fours and two sixes to extend the total beyond the 200-run mark.

Lungi Ngidi replaced a frustrated Rabada and immediately wrapped up the West Indies innings by bowling last man Jayden Seales, whose mood was not helped when Tony de Zorzi was dropped at slip driving at the fast bowler in the last over of the day.

It now remains to be seen if the weather will be kind enough to allow de Zorzi and opening partner Markram the chance to make the final day an intriguing one despite the loss of so much playing time over the first four days.

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Kagiso Rabada slams CSA for prioritizing SA20 over New Zealand Tests

Ace pacer Kagiso Rabada broke silence on Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) decision to prioritize SA20 over the two-match Test series against New Zealand.

The cricketing body named seven uncapped players for the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which was played in February this year.

South Africa announced uncapped batter Neil Brand as the captain for the New Zealand tour which was played at the same time as SA20 league, featuring the frontline Proteas players.

Their decision to field an inexperienced squad against former Test champions backfired as New Zealand registered their first-ever series victory over South Africa.

The Black Caps had not beaten the Proteas in 17 previous Test series dating back to 1931, having lost 13 and drawn four.

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Meanwhile, right-arm pacer Kagiso Rabada did not mince his words in lashing out at the CSA and termed their decision to prioritize SA20 as “shooting yourself in the foot”.

“It was very, very unacceptable and remains unacceptable to date. It was obviously a planning issue. It is unacceptable, that is all I would say about that,” he told PTI.

“That is a planning issue and it has got to do with what is happening at the higher level; what happened with Cricket South Africa. It was basically a double book, that was what it was.

“End of the day, we didn’t really get a choice to even go there [New Zealand] because of the importance of the SA20. It is like shooting yourself in the foot.”

Rabada then went on to highlight the importance of Test cricket and emphasised it as the pinnacle of the sport.

“Cricket comes from Test cricket and Test from my perspective is the best format. I would imagine all great players who play all formats would say Test cricket is their favourite format. It is the same for me as well.”

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