BACK TO HIS BEST: Rabada’s return to top speed lights up Indian Premier League

Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has rediscovered his best form in the Indian Premier League. Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha credits the 31-year-old’s career-best pace to months of hard work.

As the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) heads into its final weekend, several names and performances stood out. But for South African cricket fans, no player has made a bigger statement than Kagiso Rabada.

Although he could not carry his team, the Gujarat Titans, directly into the final, Rabada’s pace and wicket-taking dominance have been central to the franchise’s run to the qualifiers.

The 31-year-old has consistently bowled speeds of 150km/h, reminiscent of the form he showed in his early twenties.

He is also currently in the running for the Purple Cap this year, sitting second on the wicket-taking charts with 26 wickets and an average of 21.03.

The last time Rabada took more than 11 wickets in a single IPL season was back in 2022, when he took 23 for Punjab Kings.

As of 26 May, Rabada also has the most powerplay wickets (18) by any bowler in an IPL season.

It’s no secret that Rabada had his struggles in the past few seasons of the IPL, but in 2026 the Proteas spearhead is certainly back to his best for Gujarat Titans.

Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha told Daily Maverick that Rabada’s resurgence has been the result of months of hard work coming together.

“Kagiso has always been an athlete, and he’s always been a hard worker and a professional,” said Botha.

“But he’s always really professional, and at the level he’s playing at, he’s also always got professionals around him that can look after him.”

For years, Rabada has been mentioned in the greatest fast bowler conversations in the Test and the 50-over formats. T20 cricket, however, remained the one format where questions lingered.

According to Mitchell McClenaghan, bowling coach for MI Cape Town in the SA20, Rabada’s current form is no fluke.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, McClenaghan said Rabada entered 2026 determined to change that perception.

“We sat down with KG before the SA20 and he realised his T20 game was not up to par. For someone like KG who’s achieved so much, realising that there’s some improvements he needs to make in his T20 game was quite massive.

“From that point on, I knew, leading into this IPL he had a real bone to pick with his performances in the IPL in the last couple of years.”

McClenaghan added that Rabada’s “phenomenal shape” and pace are closely linked to work he has done with a sprint coach during the off-season – specifically under the guidance of Olympic sprint