Kagiso Rabada, the 2020 IPL purple cap winner, has faced a tough period in recent seasons. In 2020, he had an economy rate of 8.34, and he maintained a solid economy under 8.50 in IPL 2021 and 2022. However, things have changed since then. Over the three seasons before IPL 2026, his economy rates were 10.09, 8.86, and 11.57. In 21 matches during this period, he picked up just 20 wickets.
Rabada started IPL 2026 with figures of 3-0-34-1 in Gujarat Titans’ (GT) first match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). Commentators noticed his struggle to find wickets consistently. Dale Steyn said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, “Just by the eye, it looks like he hasn't kind of performed as well as one would hope he would.”
Marco Jansen’s Rise Compared to Rabada
Steyn highlighted the contrast between Rabada and Marco Jansen, who returned 4-0-20-1 for PBKS. He explained that Jansen is playing to his strengths more effectively. “He's starting to play for teams that are winning more trophies. For Sunrisers Eastern Cape, they've won the SA20 league three out of four years now. I feel that adds a sense of belief that you can do it at the highest level,” Steyn said.
Steyn noted that Rabada has not had as many trophies or accolades recently, which could affect confidence. “I'm hoping this is the season he can really stand up because he is a real wicket-taker. He once won the purple cap, so he knows what it’s about. But can he find something extra in his game to go a step ahead?”
The Missing Yorker
Ambati Rayudu pointed to a specific technical issue: Rabada’s yorker. “He used to bowl a very good yorker early on when he was bowling seam-up. But has he started bowling too much of that cross-seam? He lost his yorker. That’s why we are seeing him not bowl so well in the death,” Rayudu said.
Data from ESPNcricinfo supports this. In IPL 2020, Rabada bowled 21 yorkers and 60 full-length deliveries, picking up 30 wickets. In the three seasons before 2026, he bowled just 15 yorkers and 87 full-length deliveries—a noticeable decline.
Steyn agreed with Rayudu but explained it was partly a broader South African bowling issue. “The South African bowling line-up went back of a length and crossed the seam. That’s where he lost that yorker a little bit. Whereas Marco doesn’t bowl many yorkers but uses variations, length, and his height effectively,” Steyn said.
He added, “KG [Rabada] is searching a bit. He’s missed low full-tosses and has been hit out of the ground. Marco knows exactly what he wants to do, whereas KG is still trying to find it. That’s reflected in wickets per balls in the death overs: ten balls per wicket for Marco versus 71 for Rabada since IPL 2025.”
Can Rabada Bounce Back?
Experts believe Rabada has the talent to regain form. Steyn said, “He just needs to rediscover his yorker and maybe a bit of luck. If he does, this could be the season where he stands up again as the wicket-taker he once was.”