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IPL 2026: Why Kagiso Rabada Lost His Yorker and Why Gujarat Titans Need It Back Now

IPL 2026: Why Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada was not just any bowler in IPL 2020. He was the best. He won the purple cap with 30 wickets, and his economy rate was 8.34, which was really good for a fast bowler who bowls in the death overs.

In 2021 and 2022, he kept going well with the economy under 8.50. But after that, things started falling apart. His economy rates in the three seasons before IPL 2026 tell a scary story. 10.09 in one season, then 8.86, and then 11.57 in the most recent one. That last number is really bad for someone who used to be so good.

Even worse, he only took 20 wickets in 21 games across those three seasons. That is not the Rabada that batters used to be scared of.

What Happened in the First Match of IPL 2026

In the opening match against the Punjab Kings on March 31, Rabada bowled 3 overs and gave away 34 runs and took just 1 wicket. His economy was 11.33, which is very expensive. Punjab Kings chased down the target easily with 5 balls left.

This was not a one-off bad day. This has been happening for a while now.

The T20 World Cup Was Also Bad for Him

I did some research and found out that Rabada’s problems are not just in the IPL. In the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which happened in India and Sri Lanka, he struggled a lot. He took only 5 wickets in 7 matches, and his economy was 8.14. For a strike bowler, that is not good enough.

This shows that the problem is not just with one tournament. He has been struggling for a while across different formats and different conditions.

What Dale Steyn Said About Him

Dale Steyn, who was one of the greatest fast bowlers ever, spoke about Rabada on the ESPNcricinfo TimeOut show after the match. He said it looks like Rabada has not performed as well as people hoped he would.

Rabada and Marco Jansen, who both bowled exceptionally well for PBKS in that match, were compared by Steyn. In four innings, Jansen took one wicket and allowed only 20 runs. Steyn said that the bigger difference is between the two batsmen’s recent performances.

Jansen is improving constantly. In the SA20 group, he has won numerous awards with Sunrisers Eastern Cape. In four years, they won three. You can act on your best efforts if you win.

Rabada, on the other hand, has not won as many trophies, and his performances have gone down in the same direction. Steyn said he hopes this season Rabada can stand up because he is a real wicket-taker and he has done it before.

Steyn also pointed out that Rabada has made silly mistakes like having his foot over the line in important moments. Maybe he just needs a couple of wickets and some luck to turn things around.

Ambati Rayudu's Big Observation About the Yorker

Ambati Rayudu, who was sitting with Steyn on the show, noticed something very specific about Rabada’s bowling. He said early in Rabada’s career, he used to bowl a really good yorker when he bowled seam-up. But now he bowls too much cross-seam, and he has lost his yorker.

Rayudu said this is why Rabada is not bowling well at the death anymore. At the beginning of his IPL career, he was really good at bowling in the last overs. But that yorker has disappeared, and that is hurting him a lot.

Amid this uncertainty, recent on-field performances have served as a reminder of cricket’s ability to shift narratives through sheer excellence. Jacob Bethell’s Ashes heroics in Sydney, which played a crucial role in England’s fightback, showcased how individual brilliance can momentarily rise above off-field tensions and refocus attention on the game itself.

Jacob Bethell’s Ashes Heroics Ignite England Fightback in Sydney

The Numbers That Prove Everything

The data from ESPNcricinfo makes this super clear. In IPL 2020, when Rabada was at his best, he bowled 21 yorkers and 60 full-length deliveries. That is a lot of balls pitched up where batters have to work hard to hit.

But in the three IPL seasons before 2026, he bowled only 15 yorkers and 87 full-length deliveries. That is a huge drop. He is not bowling yorkers anymore, and batters know what is coming.

Steyn agreed with Rayudu and said this was actually a South African problem and not just a Rabada problem. He said there was a period where the whole South African bowling line-up started bowling back of a length and crossing the seam. That is where Rabada lost his yorker.

What Other Experts Are Saying

I found some more research about what other cricket experts think. Mohammad Kaif, who is a former Indian player and RCB coach, said the Gujarat Titans have a big problem with death bowling. He said Rabada is getting hit, and Mohammed Siraj also got hit in the death overs last season.

Kaif pointed out that in IPL 2025, GT lost their last three matches in a row when they needed to qualify for the top two. Teams like LSG, CSK, and MI all scored more than 225 runs against them. The bowling got exposed under pressure.

Another report said Rabada’s form has been so bad that his spot in the playing XI might not even be guaranteed anymore. Jason Holder and Glenn Phillips both seem important for team balance, so GT might have to choose between them and Rabada.

Why This Matters for the Gujarat Titans

Gujarat Titans won the IPL in their first season in 2022 and finished as runners-up in 2023. But after that, they could not make a top-two finish in the next two seasons.

The team has good batters like Shubman Gill and Jos Buttler. But bowling wins tournaments. If Rabada cannot find his yorker and cannot bowl well at the death, GT will keep losing close matches.

In the first match against PBKS, the target was only 163 runs. That should have been easy to defend. But because the bowling was not good enough, they lost.

Final Thoughts

Kagiso Rabada is still young, and he has shown before that he can be the best bowler in the world. The yorker is not something you forget forever. Maybe he just needs to practice it more and trust it in matches.

But the problem is that IPL does not wait for anyone. If he does not find his form quickly, the Gujarat Titans might have to make some tough decisions about their playing XI. The next few matches will be very important for him.

Let’s see what happens. Cricket can change fast, and one good spell can bring all the confidence back. I hope Rabada finds his yorker soon because watching him bowl at his best is something special.

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