Franchise Gujarat Titans (GT) face a massive blow in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2025) as their prime bowler, Kagiso Rabada, has returned to South Africa due to personal reasons. The franchise informed the media and fans about this but did not specify a particular date for the player’s return. GT missed his presence in the previous game, as he did not play against RCB.
The Ahmedabad-based franchise will look forward to bringing in another member to the team in case Rabada does not return before the tournament ends. Since he is an overseas player, the franchise will try to replace him with another foreign player. In this article, we discuss three players who have a chance to replace Rabada in the GT squad.
Here are the three players who can replace Kagiso Rabada in GT:
1. Josh Little
Irish cricketer Josh Little might get a chance to play for Gujarat Titans once again. The player was part of the team in the 2023–24 seasons. He played just one game in the previous season and claimed four wickets. However, despite his good performance, he did not get to play more games because he opted for the Pakistan series over the IPL.
In the 2023 season, he played ten games but was not very effective, claiming just seven wickets at an average of 42. The player has a good record for his national team, so he might receive a call from the franchise in the future.
2. Mustafizur Rahman
The experienced Bangladesh bowler Mustafizur Rahman, known as ‘Fizz’, went unsold in the auction that took place in November 2024. In the previous season, he played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and was fairly impressive. He got a chance to play in nine games and claimed 14 wickets.
Despite having a good season, no team picked him up due to his performance in international cricket. He is a new-ball bowler and a death-over specialist. Mustafizur has extensive experience in the sport and could be a handy addition to the Titans for the ongoing IPL 2025 season.
3. Umesh Yadav
Veteran pacer Umesh Yadav is a former member of the GT squad and could be brought back once again in the ongoing season. He has played for multiple franchises and has a wealth of experience in the format. He played seven games for GT in the previous season and claimed eight wickets.
He was not an economical bowler but bowled at an average of 26.25. Hence, GT may place some trust in him and bring him back this season if Rabada chooses to opt out of the tournament.
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