Kagiso Rabada, the pace spearhead for the Gujarat Titans and South Africa, claims he has become indifferent to criticism after going through the high of a long-awaited ICC victory and the low of a doping ban during a turbulent year.
Rabada missed a majority of last year’s IPL to serve a one-month ban for cocaine abuse. However, he recovered in a matter of weeks and joined the South African side that won the World Test Championship (WTC) in June 2025.
“What I learned from that is not to take people’s opinion seriously. Not to take the world, not to take things too seriously. Sometimes things are blown out of proportion. Sometimes things just get hyped out of proportion,” Rabada told PTI in an interview.
“The things that really matter to you. All of those people who are close to you. How you feel about yourself. That’s really what I learned in a nutshell. That you’re not going to make everyone happy. And that you shouldn’t try to make everyone happy. Just remember who you are,” he said.
Due to a rib bone injury sustained in December last year, the 30-year-old, who is amassing around 600 international wickets across formats, was unable to participate in the away Test series against India.
Last November, South Africa made history by defeating India 2-0 on their own home turf. With 21 wickets, Rabada is one of the top wicket-takers in the IPL and is now bowling thunderbolts at a speed of 150 kmph.
Rabada is one of the few major international players that appears in all formats. However, with the volume of cricket played worldwide, it is getting more and harder to be available in all three formats. Rabada recognizes the necessity to find extra recovery periods in order to avoid injuries throughout a busy cricket schedule.
“Yes, my body is feeling pretty decent, I must say. Touchwood. Continuing to try and stay on top of things, not letting things build up and cause unnecessary headaches in the future. It’s just about not taking things for granted and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“There’s no real change in fitness regime. Just when you get older you have to work a lot more on smaller things. I’ve always been someone who works really hard,” he said.
Is picking and choosing the best course of action for playing all formats?
“Picking and choosing, I don’t think that’s the right phrase that I would like to use. I think the right phrase I would like to use is just being wise around what I’m playing and when.”
Rabada made the decision to skip franchise leagues like Major League Cricket and The Hundred this year due to a hectic Test season at home including Australia and England as well as the ODI World Cup later in 2027.
“You’re looking at a year of planning. So there’s other leagues that we can play like MLC, the Hundred. And for me it’s sacrificing those and not playing those to get ready for international cricket,” Rabada added.
