Gujarat Titans' South African cricket player Kagiso Rabada celebrates after taking the wicket of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Indian player Abhishek Sharma during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 match between Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on May 12, 2026. Picture: Shammi MEHRA / AFP
Image: Shammi MEHRA / AFP
It’s no secret that Kagiso Rabada had his struggles in the last few seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but in 2026 the Proteas spearhead fast bowler is certainly back to his best for Gujarat Titans (GT).
In this year’s edition, Rabada had already taken 21 wickets in 12 matches for an average of 20. He lies second on the IPL wicket-takers chart behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has taken the same number of wickets but at a slightly better average to top the list.
The last time Rabada took over 11 wickets in an entire IPL season was back in the 2022 edition while still playing for Punjab Kings.
Of course, his 2025 debut season for GT was marred by his doping suspension for recreational drug use. Though he served just a one-month suspension, he ended up playing just four matches without much success last season. In fact, it was Rabada’s worst-ever season in terms of wickets (two) taken and matches played in the IPL.
The 2024 and 2023 editions of the IPL were not kind to Rabada either, as he averaged 33 in both seasons.
His last good season in the IPL was in 2022, when he ended with 23 wickets from 13 matches at an average of 17.
His best season remains the 2020/2021 edition when he claimed 30 wickets for Delhi Capitals at an average of 18.
That’s why it’s all the more pleasing to see that Rabada has put that behind him as he churns out world-class performances in 2026.