South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada recently served a provisional ban for recreational drug use. The 29-year-old left the IPL, after playing just two matches for Gujarat Titans (GT), to return home last month, where he served the month ban and had also completed an education and awareness programme to prevent further substance abuse. According to a report in South African newspaper Rapport, traces of benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine was found on his urine sample during the SA20 earlier this year.

The report added that Rabada’s legal team demonstrated his cocaine use was out of competition because the concentration (under 1,000 nanograms per millilitre) suggested prior use, not use on the day of testing.

“He was smart to go down that route,” Khalid Galant, CEO of the South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS), told Rapport. “If you know you did it, it saves you time and legal fees.”

Rabada, in a statement released by GT last month, was “deeply sorry” for his actions.

“South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS) has completed the investigation. Rabada has honoured his provisional suspension and has also completed a program. He is now fully available for selection in the remaining matches of the IPL.”

The statement did not specify the length of the suspension.

Rabada, who played just two matches for Gujarat in this season of the T20 tournament, was “deeply sorry” for his actions.

“This moment will not define me. I will keep doing what I have always done, continuously working hard and playing with passion and devotion to my craft,” Rabada said.

Meanwhile, the IPL on Friday was suspened for a week amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan at the border.

The tournament could resume as early as next weekend with a India and Pakistan currently under a ceasefire agreement.

(With PTI Inputs)